Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: adzling on <10-16-15/1124:41>

Title: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-16-15/1124:41>
Hoi Chummers, welcome to the Jialong Data Haven!

If you're reading this you have been extended membership by a trusted administrator, your privileges can be just as easily revoked so read the rules and keep it civil.

• Rule 1: What gets posted on Jialong stays on Jialong. No cross posting of content or information to other data havens or runner boards permitted. This is a resource for Hong Kong based operatives, it's not a place for the last gwailo off the sub-orbital to skim for local information.
• Rule 2: Don't hack the haven! Any attempts to tamper with or hack the haven's nodes will result in a response worthy of the board's founders.
• Rule 3: Anything the administrators view as unhelpful to the Haven's mission will result in access termination without warning. You have been warned!

<ooc> this is a place for our group to post in character after-action reports, personal development and backgrounder info and intra-session RP. Please mark any out of character posts with <ooc> at the start of the post.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-16-15/1129:04>
<entry>
Tog was pleasantly surprised the Tiny had agree to such a large loan, $160,000 Nuyen wasn't chump change. He had the put the money to work and was now laid up in a Decko's ‘ware clinic recovering from surgery that had implanted a whole drek load of systems simultaneously, probably the most ’ware Tog had had installed at once. And all of it amazingly useful…

It would take quite a while to recover, combined with the time he needed to complete his initiation he would be offline for about 3 months.
He just hoped the team would still be around when he was operational again, 3 months was a long time on the street…Like

<entry>
Fun with Vocal Modulators..
It took a while to source such a high quality modulator but man has it been worth it. Out drinking the other night Tog mimicked the voice of a large orc sat at the bar to continuously order drinks from the robo-barkeep on his tab. The 30 year old Glenlivet must have put quite the shock on the tusker when he cashed out at the end of the night.

<entry>
The past few months had been at once grueling and boring. With all his waking hours spent recovering from multiple surgeries and completing his initiate training with the magically active members of the Toastmasters he barely had enough time to call out for food.
Which made it all the more surprising when he found himself with enough time to run out to the gun range for an hour and pop caps into some paper and gel targets.
As the array of targets popped out and swung towards him in randomized sequences he fired his weapon dry, reloaded and emptied a second clip without thinking much about what he was doing. The synergy between his recently installed third layer of Cyberdyne Muscle Toner, Gene-netics Reflex Recorder and his magically enhanced agility all conspired to render conscious thought mostly irrelevant. When he looked up all of the 12 targets, spread out across a 60 meter range, were shot through the bullseye. Tog was impressed, he should have tipped Decko more,
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-16-15/1130:52>
<ooc> this is the magical group Jiao might be interested in joining ;-)

International Order of the Toastmasters
Members (est.): 2000+
Dues: 100¥/year
Areas of expertise: The use of magical abilities to enhance public speaking in the 6th world. This encompasses research into the use of spells, adept abilities, foci, summoning, possession and any other magical enhancements to the art of social interaction.
Formed in 2053 by a splinter group of the commonplace mundane public speaking group Toastmasters International the International Order of the Toastmasters is now a completely separate organization focussed on the research and discovery of new magical methods for enhancing the art of social discourse.
As an open society, the I.O.Tas (as they refer to themselves) accept all applicants provided they are awakened in some way.
They have chapter houses in most large urban conurbations around the world that any member can access to rent a function room, host a presentation or conduct research. Each chapter house has a job board where non-members can hire members for specific jobs usually difficult negotiations or important speaking engagements that require the specialized talents that only a magically active speaker can provide.
IOTa draws many members from the areas of Religion, Law and Politics and membership is not exclusive (you can be a member of another society so long as you inform IOTa
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-16-15/1925:21>
Jiao <ooc> who most PCs know as Ping </ooc> ran her hands across the wooden table in her upscale apartment. Normally she would go without thought but this run especially spooked her. She had become the thing she feared the most. Beholden, with a debt. Wanting something. A million thoughts ran through her mind, but they all took her back to that night. That night in the Walled City. Where she told herself she'd never be again.

The toxicity of the area overwhelmed her as it did when she was a child and her bio mom Fan <ooc: now deceased for those without Jiao's backstory> took her here to see some of her bio grandparents. She hated this place then and the familiar nausea creeping up when she thinks about that place let alone in it is just blah. But more than the nausea was the feeling of uselessness the Walled City represents. <ooc > This is not a jab at the DM or a player or mechanics. </ooc> The Walled City feels like it takes away a lot of her power, beauty, and independence each time she goes and this last run was no different. Unable to wear her trademark dress due to the hostility of the area, she clunked around in what was probably a subpar armor suit and just made sure no one was coming at kept the little boy safe. That boy was her ticket back to beauty. During that time she had time to think, and thinking is her worst weapon. She was doing all this for a coin. An Elven coin. Was she really the person to sacrifice everyone just to let the elves have a beauty namesake? Had she really become one of the racist pricks she seduces on a bimonthly basis to help pay the bills? Had so much time with the higher ups that don't have these types of problems really corrupted her that much?

The absence of gunfire brought Jiao back from her thoughts and she tried to make a guy sleep long enough for us to be able to interrogate later. Apparently however, Cabbie, the local driver had other ideas and proceeded to cap him after he was knocked out. Something about not wanting to wait 2 hours or something like that to interrogate him. Honestly Jiao had quit paying attention once she saw Cabbie commit voluntary murder. Cabbie was used to getting things done with time and having the guy awaken to that horror would have been a great tongue loosener. "So much for diplomacy..." Jiao pondered and the group trudged along the path to the coin led to by this dragon and little boy team.

Once finally there, the group saw people who hoarded trash for beauty. Trash??!? Trash?!?!?! How the fuck do I trade trash? It's not like a well mannered high society problem solver, like myself, keeps trash handy. This entire place was disgusting, she shouldn't be surprised that they hold trash as value. As much as she was dismayed, Jiao went to the astral because as much as trash is beauty is fucked up, no humans are generally that messed up. Jiao saw the signs of tell tale astral mistakes and people beyond hope of repair. It was pitiful. It is in situations like these Jiao really wants to end their miserable lives, but is a consummate professional so killing as few people as possible for her goal is needed. While these characters hoarded trash they weren't hurting anyone.

That is until serial killer astral fuckup boy. The guy hoarded body parts...Everyone saw him and Cabbie killed him with her murderous streak of course, but when people returned to normal (later on.) It would have been hard to say what that murderous serial killer would have came back to. Could they have taken that back? And in what state did we actually leave those people after the mission? Telling the one we went up to the spirit with it was a hallucinogen was the easy way out. She didn't have to explain that these people did things. They could piece it together later, but this eats at Jiao leaving people like that. She had no choice though. It was about the coin. That damned coin that she loves to love and hates to hate. The one that has to get back into Elven hands. The coin she'd trade almost anything to have with her. A couple of round pieces of metal with some kind of magical properties.

It was getting to be too much, so she cracked open a bit of wine and thought back on the combat. The part that actually was combat to her, the spirit. Seeing the group so useless and knowing it was her job to step up as the mage and kill it, Jiao tried banishing it, but her problems and the problems of the walled city kept her from doing it. It's like everything she tried was with one arm behind her back. She revealed herself as magical, why? And Cabbie got her high....Why? I am a problem solver, spells....let someone else handle that. Unfortunately, Jiao may not have that luxury. Her magic is now out and exposed to the group for some bauble. Eventually Jiao would need to check back on those people, or something because this is eating her up.

Jiao has gone about things alone or had people work for her in order to solve things, but this teamwork thing, thrust upon her by the Triad, is new to her. In order to keep her lifestyle, she needs them. Jiao is slowly becoming a part of the cog rather than above it. Normally, this is when she would disappear a bit, but that dang coin. With accepting her fate, Jiao ran her hand across a couple of papers she had in front of her desk. One of them described some of the basic features of the Toast Masters. A group of faces who use their magic towards their gains...An outward acceptance of the thing she tries to hide. But maybe they could teach her HOW to hide it. Very important indeed. Especially for her con stuff. And especially useful so she doesn't go off and intimidate really powerful spirits...That rampant destruction of beauty just set her off. She needs a way to maintain her face persona.

Her eyes then glazed over towards the other piece of paper. The Astral Space Preservation Society. An organization started by a certain Dragon that is tattoo'd on her leg rather quite prominently. This group prevented the events similar to what was done by the Toxic Spirit from happening over and over again. While she had admiration for D <ooc: what she calls the dragon since his name is so damn long. > does that mean she has to follow and join its membership? Hell, this dragon gave money and stuff to the Tir clans across the world as well as helping to restore the world to beauty with his last willl. It's bequeathal of money to the security organizations towards non lethal combat is inspiring. Plus in order to hide herself one may have to know herself.

Jiao now was pacing across the floor in her living room, almost empty wine glass in hand and a very full wine bottle in the other. Setting them back down on her table, she exclaimed out at no one and everyone:

"FUCK IT. I'm getting laid."

Switching into her nicest civilian barhopping dress, Jiao went to her favorite haunt dressed to the nines and partied the night away, resulting in a quick nameless lay. Something to remove herself from her problems. She honestly doesn't remember the name or the gender of the person she slept with, just that it was enough of a distraction from the things that bug her in this world. The next morning though, during her walk of pride (or shame as some may call it.) She returned back to the paperwork spread out on her desk.

Stalling as long as possible, Jiao took a shower, had an ornate breakfast, similar to that of a last meal before once again deciding what to do about her future. It wasn't so much the money that bothered her, but belonging to a collective when she already subscribed to the religion of the Path of the Wheel that helped preserve and protect Elven heritage and what would happen if those goals conflict.

"D forgive me..." She whispered as she lit her research on the Astral Space Preservation Society (but not her work on D) on fire with a cigarette lighter. She just couldn't commit to a group that protected the astral when she saw what she'd be up against...And against that...alone. Part of preserving astral space would be that type of combat and if she was younger she could have done it but now, she couldn't take out those spirits responsible through combat. Instead, she'd need a way to talk with them. So the same damn thing of losing control to a spirit did not happen again. There was only one group that could provide that.

Fancy pen in hand, Jiao filled out the paperwork to join the IOTAs. One little piece of non electronic paper...She could go it alone. She could just do what she's always done. But what she's always done brought her here and had to change.

She wanted to not be a racist asshole. Not leave people who she might secretly be caring about out to dry for a piece of metal. Show people why talking instead of killing is inherently better. Maybe then she'd get her bar back or destroy those responsible for taking it from her birth mother. Maybe then she'd be the leader she wants to be and regain control.

Jiao has finally seen ugly and wants it gone. Filling out a second copy, she stuffs it inside a hidden compartment in her bed and then makes it again to look nice and pretty and neat and sends out the completed version of the application to the IOTAs. Until she hears back she wonders what will come next for her.
<ooc> Too long didn't read? Jiao attempts to apply for the Toastmasters</ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-16-15/2231:15>
<<ooc>> nice first post +1 karma! FYI dragon is lung, not the big d ;-) <<ooc>>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-20-15/1011:51>
<<Tog's back story to get them rolling>>

Tog was born Topo Fugue in 2051, ostensibly the only child of Renraku, Seattle corporate citizens Tommy and Alyssa Fugue.
<Tog does not know that he was actually vat-grown as a prototype Transhuman, then placed with his “family” at birth>
As their only child they doted on him in his early pre-teen years, hoping that he would follow their footsteps to become another successful wageslave for Renraku
<they were not aware of his origin and had sworn to not reveal his adopted status to him>.
When Topo hit puberty and began to demonstrate uncanny abilities to change his appearance at will Renraku’s counter-espionage division selected him for early training as a “Corporate Specialist”. Tommy and Alyssa were of course, ecstatic at the honor while Renraku’s counter-espionage division was even more ecstatic to discover that one of their prototype Transhuman’s was magically active!
What followed was a grueling training and bioware installation regimen that spanned 10 years. On completion Topo was assigned to an evaluation mission to extract an MCT researcher from their corporate enclave.
Using all of his training and installed suite of bioware he masqueraded as the target himself and managed to infiltrate his private suite without raising suspicion. Once inside Topo secured the target in a room service cart and began the exfiltration process, still disguised as the target. As he was exiting the suite he ran into the pre-teen daughter of the target, who thinking Topo was her dad home from work early ran to shower him with affections. Faced with the decision of leaving the girl without her dad Topo made the split-second decision to extract them both. Holding her hand and pushing the room service cart loaded with the target he made for the facility’s exit. Somewhat surprisingly he made it out of the campus and to the extraction point where dust-off awaited in the form of a Chinook whirlybird.
The corporate Johnson in the Chinook reviewed the situation, drew his sidearm and put a bullet through the head of the daughter leaving Topo standing shocked as her blood covered his face. The Johnson, noticing Topo’s horrified expression explained his actions matter-of-factly:
“We don’t extract kids, they have no value. She’ll be worth more as collateral damage from the firefight MCT put up trying to halt the extraction. That story should stoke the target’s anger towards his previous corporation and make his assimilation into Renraku that much easier. Don’t worry we’ll get him another kid.”
At this point Topo’s mind revolted and he reacted on pure anger, drawing his pistol and quickly putting the Johnson down before he could even register the betrayal.
Turning his back on the chopper Topo knew he would never be a good Renraku citizen and it’s likely they would always be looking for him to recover their investment. Where else would a magically active prototype Transhuman loaded to the gills with military grade bioware go but the shadows?
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-24-15/1327:05>
<ooc>Jiao's backstory. I also take no credit for the image. The artist I found does some great work: http://jarow.deviantart.com/gallery/. This is pretty much how Jiao looks except the missing dragon tattoo.</ooc>
(http://img11.deviantart.net/68e7/i/2011/234/d/f/shadowrun_attitude_by_jarow-d47ffcv.jpg)
[spoiler=TLDR version]Born in a life of luxury Huan Jiao (In English Jiao Huan -- Last name is first in Chinese) means beautiful joy. The Huan family were a married wage slave couple immersed in corporate politics. It was a loveless marriage, but one of convenience. If it ever broke apart there would be hell to pay for each of them. The pair had an understanding that they could have dalliances on the side as long as each of them knew if kids resulted they could make it work. Chao, the husband, loved this as he had  a roving eye, and Ling loved the prestige this allowed her with less work. Sort of like putting up with a person's gambling habit except instead it was her husband's sex addiction.

Jiao is the result of one of those such unions. Specifically the owner of a respectable bar named the Rounded Keg, Fan. Chao (human) ended up leaving his credit stick for dalliances at home and accidentally brought his true credit stick. Not wanting the evening's events trackable as it could bring harm to his political marriage, he decided to bed the bartender. Due to his shame, he never came back to the bar, and therefore never knew of the child he had made. His wife however, who was stalking him, did. He had broken the cardinal rule of telling her of the dalliances before and she ended up switching the credit sticks that night to try to keep him honest. Ling soon frequented the Rounded Keg a lot and helped Fan carry Jiao to term as some strange things started happening around the bar. People kept being able to mysteriously avoid hangovers on occasion. At first, Fan didn't even realize she was pregnant with Chao's child because of no morning sickness, but when she put on the weight it became undeniable and too late to do anything about it.

Based on being raised by an economical bartender, Fan (elf), and being given luxuries by Ling(human), she learned the value of money and the value of looking damn fine. Jiao never really settled for anything less. On her 18th birthday, Ling sprang for an initation into a magic school for Jiao to teach her the basics and help her make something of herself. She had the gift, as evidenced by her intentionally curing hangovers at the bar, but no daughter of Ling's would be stuck at the bar. Damn it, her daughter would "be someone", even if she couldn't do it legally. Ling also invested as much as she could into a real SIN for her without her husband finding out. Where Chao had his women, Ling had her daughter in Jiao.

It was at this initiation that Jiao ended up going on her first run by listening to a man who needed out of his relationship. Most people laughed at his cowardice, but Jiao sensing a pay day tried to make him feel better about it. In fact, she was rather able to "convince" his partner that she should  be looking elsewhere for her fun. This man ended up being a corporate Johnson who set her up with all sorts of solo runs without going through a fixer. She worked as  a fixer a bit with him for a time, meeting another fixer in the game, but mainly she loved the solo run. As she leveraged her magic she routinely got paid to do the advanced scouting for other people's runs in stral Space, or to extract information from a pliable target through less obtrusive means. This helped maintain her lifestyle but moved her further and further away from Hong Kong and she spent a solid year in China, picking up a few bits and pieces of the language.

After that year in China, she received a communique that her mother Fan had died. She came back as fast as she could, but it was too little too late. Social "nobles" and people with purchasing power had inflitrated the bar. Because of her extensive use of the makeover spell in her prior runs and not having a picture of a childhood, she looked like an imposter when trying to claim her own birthright in the bar. Sure she had the dragon tattoo she had gotten in her rebellious youth but it was distinctive. Anyone could copy that. She had nothing to prove it. Sure Ling knew it was her, but there was nothing Ling could do about it as her noble status prevented her from intervening. Jiao's biggest regret is that she could have had the Rounded Keg to herself. She did manage to steal the emergency money (50000 nuyen) hidden away at the bottom of the floorboards Ling told her about. It was meant for Fan in case Jiao had medical bills or some unforeseen obstacle but Fan wouldn't need it now.

Back in her home town, Jiao aka the Princess, continues to market herself to solo runs, all the while maintaining her love of beautiful and precious things. She is very much a stereotypical elf and doesn't try to hide it. She will have sex with anyone to complete a mission or who is hot enough and loves to be the center of attention but doesn't really know what "love" is. Sure she says it all the time, but it's a foreign concept that weighs people down in her mind. A friend like her Mr. Johnson (of which she knows the true name of but never uses it -- Hence the high loyalty), is worth more than any "love".

Some of these runs had her run in tandem to the local doctor crew as she rarely ever saw combat but boy was she good at fixing people up. If your nuyen was good, she didn't care what caused you to be that way unless it bared medical importance. She often asked for medical reasons or to determine if the people could pay, rather than what most people asked out of managing their own political alliegances. Because Princess changed her face so much she never really cared what those were. Morality and what is "good" is only beauty. Healing people is a part of that beauty. Anyone who would disrupt said beauty deserves to die.

Occasionally some of these solo runs were to track a mark from one place to another and gather proof that they were truly going into said place or not going into said place. Princess had a gift for this. Her natural eyes just seemed so much better than most for this task.

In her off time, Jiao spends it at her place trying to make a mini museum of sorts, at an actual museum for ideas, or monitoring local fashions. Jiao is a "beauty" snob and makes no efforts to hide it. Which works out because no one expects the Princess to be a runner. If anyone happens to ask who knows her, she's a Paris Hilton type or a "problem solver", not a runner. It's only a matter of time before a group needs a face though and the beauty of the job or challenge would be impossible to resist....
[/spoiler]

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-24-15/1331:08>
[spoiler=The super long version part 1 because 20000 characters max is apparently a thing]

Born in a life of luxury Huan Jiao (In English Jiao Huan -- Last name is first in Chinese) means beautiful joy. The Huan family were a married wage slave couple immersed in corporate politics. It was a loveless marriage, but one of convenience. If it ever broke apart there would be hell to pay for each of them. The pair had an understanding that they could have dalliances on the side as long as each of them knew if kids resulted they could make it work. Chao, the husband, loved this as he had  a roving eye, and Ling loved the prestige this allowed her with less work. Sort of like putting up with a person's gambling habit except instead it was her husband's sex addiction.

Jiao is the result of one of those such unions. Specifically the owner of a respectable bar named the Rounded Keg, Fan. Chao (human) ended up leaving his credit stick for dalliances at home and accidentally brought his true credit stick. Not wanting the evening's events trackable as it could bring harm to his political marriage, he decided to bed the bartender. Due to his shame, he never came back to the bar, and therefore never knew of the child he had made. His wife however, who was stalking him, did.  <OOC> If you wanted to make Jiao a vat child as well, this could also explain the father's not knowing and the bartender agreed to carry the vat child to term as Ling was infertile. Either way Chao doesn't know.</OOC>He had broken the cardinal rule of telling her of the dalliances before and she ended up switching the credit sticks that night to try to keep him honest. Ling soon frequented the Rounded Keg a lot and helped Fan carry Jiao to term as some strange things started happening around the bar. People kept being able to mysteriously avoid hangovers on occasion. At first, Fan didn't even realize she was pregnant with Chao's child because of no morning sickness, but when she put on the weight it became undeniable and too late to do anything about it.

Based on being raised by an economical bartender, Fan (elf), and being given luxuries by Ling(human), she learned the value of money and the value of looking damn fine. Jiao never really settled for anything less.  Even though she rarely ever left the bar, she found ways to extract "interesting" tips from her clientele as a waitress/something more. She carries no shame in this. It is merely a person using their tools like a decker or a street samurai to her. Flashing back Jiao remembers a completely unique situation that could have gone horribly if not for this idea.

It was in the summer of 2064, soon after Jiao turned 13, and three of the corporate drones came in to avoid the heat, completely hammered when they came in. A lot of sex starved Humanis pigs that claimed humanity is the best thing since sliced bread since humanity was the root of all races. Blah blah blah. Jiao didn't really care she only listened enough to make sure she didn't piss them off being an elf and all. Instead of waiting for the hostess to seat them, they took the VIP table. Trying to avoid a scene, Jiao immediately went over and tried to take their order after undoing a few of her buttons on her uniform to try to get more information out of them. The trio of men asked for more beer, and normally a respectable bartender would cut them off but she did not. Instead she gave a hand signal towards Fan that they were going to be her "special guests" and she would rob their racist asses blind and the bouncer would carry their bodies a few blocks away to the seedier part of town. Fan, being an elf, is always happy to teach Humanis pigs a lesson.

As the night went on, Jiao continued supplying them with liquor and one of the men started getting outright handsy and threw a cred stick on the table. "You're the local whrrre right?" And the other two drones laughed as apparently that was some kind of insult. Jiao merely replied "Yes. " This shocked the humanis people but they were really too drunk to sober up at that point. The really drunk guy the one with the cred stick said "So whatcha selling pointy?" As he slurred that out, he stuck his hand out and grabbed her breast rather hard. "Just checking out the merchandise." Politely Jiao removed his filthy hand form her chest. "If you wish to discuss details I'd more than be happy to invite you upstairs. I'm sure polite gentlemen such as yourselves would not want certain things exposed."

With that Jiao turned away and started heading towards the back of the establishment and the three men eagerly followed, drool and beer trail behind them not withstanding. Almost instinctively, Jiao knew which buttons to push on each of the men in turn, completely unaware she was casting the spell Orgy on the trio in turn. The trio then wanted a foursome with herself so she told them to get on the bed. The three of them fit and it was a tight squeeze, but she got out her special lipstick that she was given by Fan as a self defense mechanism. Many of the more attractive women carry laced lipstick that knocks a potential rapist out in case of potential "issues", but she always wanted to use it as a weapon. Draping it over her lips, Jiao then kissed the first man on the bed who immediately passed out. "Guess he couldn't handle his beer..." she mused. One of them more bravado guys said, "I can you fucking elf, kiss me..." And with his request, she gave him a large kiss and he soon too passed out from the beer. Jiao laughed for a moment. Guess he wasn't as big as he thought.

The last man, the strongest of the bunch, was outright angry at this point. "Bitch you're mine!" He grabbed her and then forced her off the bed. She was now  on bottom and him on top against the carpet. Glaring daggers down at her, he then attempted to forcibly make out with Jiao, but that too, is indeed a kiss and he collapsed on top of her. With all of her strength she pushed his naked body onto the carpet next to the nightstand.

"That is how you take down three men." She mused to herself. After getting dressed and going through their things, Jiao stole a good 1500 in untraceable credstick money and a few weapons to pay off the bouncer to take the bodies pretty far away. She also found a small dragon keepsake of Lung, she puts on display in her room. Once she was done, she yelled for "Mickey" to come on over and take care of the "drunk" patrons, she applied some perfume and continued on as if it was an ordinary night, because to her it was.

[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-24-15/1332:48>
[spoiler=Part 2]

On her 18th birthday, Ling sprang for an introduction into a magic school for Jiao to teach her the basics and help her make something of herself. She had the gift, as evidenced by her intentionally curing hangovers at the bar, and casting orgy on some unsuspecting patrons, but no daughter of Ling's would be stuck at the bar. Damn it, her daughter would "be someone", even if she couldn't do it legally. Ling also invested as much as she could into a real SIN for her without her husband finding out. Where Chao had his women, Ling had her daughter in Jiao. It was also at this school where Jiao got her distinct tattoo on her right leg. She grew tired of all these annoying things like "rules" that the school was attempting to teach her and that the only beautiful women were those without tattoos. After a drunken or deepweed high, she doesn't remember which, she found herself back at a tattoo parlor and got herself inked with the dragon Lung on her right leg and it was a big one too. Stumbling back into the school in the early hours she awoke to find herself puking in her private restroom toilet. "Daaaaaaaaaah fuck." Jiao muttered as she usually was much better at keeping track of her alcohol consumption. Trying to clean herself up for class, she looked down at her leg and saw the rather large dragon tattoo and it finally dawned on her what she did......"OMG...I thought that was a dream." Violently she tried to scrub it off to no avail but then soon found herself massaging it like a sign of pride and love. She always viewed her dragon keepsake as a element of power and she guessed this tattoo was a way of her describing what she could not describe in any other way here at the school. Either that or she was still suffering recoil from Deepweed possession. Regardless, she made the decision to love that thing.

It was towards the end of this schooling, she met a man, Michael Trevase, who introduced her to the world of shadowrunning. He was a corp, as most of her interactions were back then, and he got himself a floozy while away from Mainland China here but she didn't want to "go away". Since she was of the notable sort he couldn't just hire someone to take him out so he tried going to the magic school and finding someone who could "convince" her to go away. Many of the mages laughed at his idocracy and gave him scowls and told him to go away. Jiao, on the other hand, loving a challenge, strolled up to him outside. After suffering through his tale of woe for about 30 minutes, she realized a potential plan for the run. Simply just redirect her energies towards another hot man. Simple enough. It's not like Hong Kong had a shortage in the ritzy area, she just had to show the piss poor lady how to be a seductress like she always knew.

That all changed as soon as she met the mark. Being unique attuned to people's sexual desires from watching them in her youth, her gaydar pinged on this mark rather loudly. It also explained why she was clingy on Trevase, she was trying to be straight versus actually accepting who she was. Now, this was rare in the 2060s. Most people don't give two cents about it, but there were some groups that did. Especially ones that relied on political marriages to keep a corporate power struggle going. After all, her mom was in one of those such unions. Coming up to the mark, she snuggled beside her, a bit closer than most people would normally like, but kept her head outwards towards the men on the dance floor of the local club. "So see anything you like?" She whispered saucily into the mark's ear. It was a simple, genderless request. With her lowcut top and enticing perfume, any straight person would have backed away slightly and then talked a bit about the men or assume Jiao was drunk. However, a lesbian might stammer first, like a man in a sense, unable to not look at the person whispering with the perfume as a guiding aide.

"I uh....He's cute... " The mark said pointing at a random man in the crowd, but not really paying attention to it all. "But really I'm waiting on my boyfriend. No sense in waiting on me. I'm sure he'll be here in a bit." She ran her hands along her half drunk glass nervously. She's probably been nursing the beer for a good half hour wondering what was going on.

"Boyfriend must be a loser." Jiao remarked rather abruptly, casually, and matter of fact. Before she could retort back, she ran her hands along her nursed beer glass as well, giving her the sense of touch over a female's fingers. "He's obviously stood you up for what 30 minutes now...What's your name, hun?" Jiao asked this even though she knew the mark's name, she wanted this to seem like an authentic meeting.

"Nancy DuBois...<ooc>pronounced dew bwah</ooc>" A American from the sounds of things. No French accent remained, in fact it was a little Southern. Must be a long line of corporate inheritance to hide that accent. The woman also obviously worked out and had a shoulder length hair, probably worked for a military corp of some sort like Knight Errant. Instinctively Nancy took to Jiao's fingers like silk running across her body. She shivered a bit and turned her head away from the males and focused almost solely on Jiao. "So what brings you out tonight?" She gulped as she desperately wanted another sip of beer but did not want to break the contact. She hoped maybe Jiao would release her fingers and allow her to take a sip and maybe give her some relief that was clearly pooling up inside of her.

Taking the hint, Jiao released her hands and ordered herself the finest beer off their menu but let her eyes run up and down Nancy's well maintained skin. "Well, I was looking for some rather beautiful company tonight..." She let her voice get slightly quieter at the word company implying that she was more her type this evening than any of the boys.

"You're...?" She wanted to say lesbian but she couldn't even bring herself to say the word she was that far into the closet.

"Bisexual..yes." Jiao replied looking to ease the tension a bit from the mark. Really she didn't have a clue herself as she never really fell in love and more enjoyed the sensation of sex. She wondered if that made her a sociopath for a bit but desperately needed to get that off of her mind and turned towards her and replied. "Known since I was a kid that I was attracted to girls and boys...Just kind of ran with it. " Such a liar, you're beauty sexual and you know it...With a bit more confidence she could be my type... Again more thoughts she didn't want and thankfully Nancy took over.

"Oh...well...like what's your name?" Nancy stammered through. Trying to learn more about this obviously attractive, confident woman. Jiao gave her name the name, Ping Ya, with a bit of sauciness. She did this in case she too became clingy and she misread her. "So ...Ping...maybe we could talk somewhere more...*erm* private...so you and I can discuss Michael a bit more privately. I might have some work if you're interested...being such an attractive woman as you are."

Keeping with her happiness bouncy seductive persona, she blew some air against Nancy's ear as she spoke. "Of course...if that's what you'd like to discuss Nancy." By phrasing it like this, she also left it open to "discussing" other matters. Soon the duo marched up to her room, where Jiao activated a lot of the toys that were loaned to her by Michael to make sure none of the other corps had bugs in her room.

"See completely private...No one can hear us Nancy." She commented as she turned off the devices. "Last one.." Jiao noted quibly to the younger counterpart. As she moved towards the center of the room, and consequently towards the bed Nancy then immediately grabbed Jiao's face and kissed her rather forcefully and Jiao went along with it. Rather enjoying it actually.

"Oh how I've been wanting to do that with a female for so damn long." Nancy's bluntness surprised Jiao. She expected Nancy to try to lightly kiss her not a full on makeout session. Apparently this woman has kept her desires hidden a while. Nancy attempted to move her hands onto Jiao's body to which Jiao politely stopped. As much as she wanted to sleep with the woman to secure her trust, this would do nothing about her boyfriend problems.

"First, we figure out your boyfriend issues, then we can play around." Jiao commented as she used her silky smooth hands to slightly push away Nancy's. Tapping the bed, she invited Nancy to sit on it. "Oh don't worry about that...My parents will just hire a hit man to kill him for standing me up. No worries. I'll just tell them tonight he was a jerk, which he was."

She said that rather casually as if Michael had broken an arrangement and deserved to die. Men and their lies...Always getting in tangled webs in order to get a quick win...Gotta play the long game in sexual matters or you get fucked...literally

"Honey if being a jerk was a punishable offense, you'd be dead many times over for leading him on that you're interested in him sexually. It's obvious you're a corp looking for a face mate instead of a marriage partner. Anyone with a decent gaydar knows you're in the closet. " Jiao commented back with the same level of fact and tone as Nancy did to her. "Instead how about you say you mutually broke it off and we find a way for you to have your cake and eat it too."

Nancy gulped and recoiled slightly scooting backwards..."How did you know???!?!?!?! How...?!?!?!" She hopped off the bed and towards a corner of the room. "I mean I did everything my image consultant said...Growing out my hair, wearing a skirt, doing my makeup, watching fashion trends...Everything...when all I want to do is sit and home and watch a sports game with a girl beside me." Crouching down, she put her hands in her face like she wanted to cry.

Slowly gliding off the bed, Jiao curled up next to the distraught woman and wrapped her arms around her shoulder. "I'm well gifted at this type of thing, but that's beside the point. The more you accept yourself for who you are, the more you can find other women like you." She snuggled up against the mark letting her cry against her shoulder.

Subtly taking the hint, Nancy did and through her tears Jiao could understand something about how her family would be in ruins if she didn't marry a corporate guy in a certain amount of time as the corporate by laws required it or she'd have nothing. It was a this point Jiao knew her way in. Touching her cheek, she politely turned her eyes towards her own. "Have you heard the term, beard?" Nancy tilted her head back and forth and Jiao knew the answer but waited for her anyway. "It's when a gay guy and lesbian date each other to give the world the appearance of being straight. "

"Oh! You mean someone like me?" Nancy's eyes perked up. She believed there may be a way out after all. Jiao nodded to the now pliable mark. "Let's get you cleaned up, we need to head to a gay friendly bar, like Temptation, and get your evening and life going right."

"Those exist! Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd!" Breaking the connection, Nancy reverted back to almost a younger version of herself and went into the bathroom to fix her mascara and such and came back out still looking like a million bucks but like she was in the closet. "Let's add a few final touches..."

Normally Jiao wouldn't help out a mark this much, but Jiao for some internal reason wanted this girl to be open to herself to experiences. Jiao mused and picked up a local Hong Kong magazine for the room. "Find a hair style you like in there and wish you had...(slight pause). It will be worth it." Jiao made the decision to use the makeover spell on the girl. If she's going to go all out and get her a beard, she might as well make her happy in her own skin.

After a few minutes, the lady went for a very short almost buzz cut type appearance which more than suited her looks. With a snap of her fingers, Jiao made it happen. "You're a...Wowza..." Nancy went back and ran her hands through her almost non existent hair. "And you picked me?" She asked incredulously.

"What can I say?" Remarked Jiao with a bit of humor. "I have a thing for girls in distress and not showing off their true beauty." First true thing you've probably said all night. After switching into the pants and top from Jiao's closet they went to the gay bar and found her a beard for the night and ended up back in Jiao's room to celebrate and how to tell the parents.

"Now that is how you have a good night!" Nancy exclaimed rather excitedly at Jiao as they stumbled into her room. The alcohol had made her a bit louder and they found themselves two attractive women in the room. In order to cement that Ping was trustworthy and she wanted an excuse to use the Orgy spell on herself, Jiao roughly kissed the girl. Nature took its course and she helped the girl understand what she was missing by hiding in the closet. She tried to return the favor and she actually wasn't bad at it. In fact she was good so she didn't have to use the spell and forgot. Either that or the beer she told herself. Jiao tends to blame a lot on beer so she always practices moderation now.

The next morning the duo turned and looked at themselves, "Well...This was fun..." Jiao let the air hang as she knew she had to say goodbye to shower and get to class. It was a really fun night of sex and mayhem and she got paid for it. "Let me guess..You have to go? " Nancy replied with the same bit of uneasiness.

"Yeah...I do. I have to get back to some things and you, darling, have a life to fix with your beard and parents. I wouldn't want Michael being killed over your issues now yes..." Jiao continued with the same tone.

Happily the girl mused on. "Oh right!" Reaching for the clothes Jiao lent her she said "I'm sure we can trade right? I bet my clothes are more expensive and towards your tastes..." She threw them on rather quickly trying to give her no chance to object but Jiao wouldn't have anyway. "Oh and Ping?" Jiao turned her head toward the mark. "Take this..." She opened her large feminine purse and a small hand crossbow peaked out. "My parents always find me a weak little thing and assume I can't fire a crossbow but in reality I've been secretly firing their gun collection for years. I figure you might have more of a use for it than I." She ran her hands almost seductively down her arms.

Good god what have I done, I actually want to bed this girl again...which is rather rare for me.

Nodding in thankfulness, Jiao took the purse. "I'll call it Nancy, so if I ever have to fire her, I'll remind myself of your kindness as well. " In reality Jiao made a pact herself that day. She would never ever allow herself to fire a combat spell or a weapon unless she had to because it would remind her of this incident.

The duo then departed and she reported to Michael a mission well done, all with 2 minutes to spare before her boring Path of the Wheel stuff she was doing. She respected the values of beauty that the group gave but ugh those lectures were so boring and unbeautiful. They should do something better.

Michael Trevase ended up being a corporate Johnson who set her up with all sorts of solo runs without going through a fixer. She worked as  a fixer a bit with him for a time, meeting another fixer in the game, but mainly she loved the solo run. As she leveraged her magic she routinely got paid to do the advanced scouting for other people's runs in stral Space, or to extract information from a pliable target through less obtrusive means. This helped maintain her lifestyle but moved her further and further away from Hong Kong and she spent a solid year in China, picking up a few bits and pieces of the language. Occasionally, she even got paid just for sex and the orgy spell which she loved.

Her favorite run involved a man paying her to electrocute her with stockings and have a picture of it for his own recollection. The man was an electricity mage/addict and could never quite shock himself though and wanted to see if someone could do it. Sure enough Jiao got the shot for the sicko but it was some of the easiest money she ever made. But when she took it, she discovered the inherent electricity running through everyone and wondered if that is what she tapped into to be able to notice and read people well that everyone has their own "current" so to speak.

After that year in China, she received a communique that her mother Fan had died. She came back as fast as she could, but it was too little too late. Social "nobles" and people with purchasing power had inflitrated the bar. Because of her extensive use of the makeover spell in her prior runs and not having a picture of a childhood, she looked like an imposter when trying to claim her own birthright in the bar. Sure she had the dragon tattoo she had gotten in her rebellious youth but it was distinctive. Anyone could copy that. She had nothing to prove it. Sure Ling knew it was her, but there was nothing Ling could do about it as her noble status prevented her from intervening. Jiao's biggest regret is that she could have had the Rounded Keg to herself. She did manage to steal the emergency money (50000 nuyen) hidden away at the bottom of the floorboards Ling told her about. It was meant for Fan in case Jiao had medical bills or some unforeseen obstacle but Fan wouldn't need it now.

Back in her home town, Jiao aka the Princess, continues to market herself to solo runs, all the while maintaining her love of beautiful and precious things. She is very much a stereotypical elf and doesn't try to hide it. She will have sex with anyone to complete a mission or who is hot enough and loves to be the center of attention but doesn't really know what "love" is. Sure she says it all the time, but it's a foreign concept that weighs people down in her mind. A friend like her Mr. Johnson (of which she knows the true name of but never uses it -- Hence the high loyalty), is worth more than any "love". The closest thing was Nancy, but she tries to avoid thinking about that.

Some of these runs had her run in tandem to the local doctor crew as she rarely ever saw combat but boy was she good at fixing people up. If your nuyen was good, she didn't care what caused you to be that way unless it bared medical importance. She often asked for medical reasons or to determine if the people could pay, rather than what most people asked out of managing their own political alliegances. Because Princess changed her face so much she never really cared what those were. Morality and what is "good" is only beauty. Healing people is a part of that beauty. Anyone who would disrupt said beauty deserves to die.

Occasionally some of these solo runs were to track a mark from one place to another and gather proof that they were truly going into said place or not going into said place. Princess had a gift for this. Her natural eyes just seemed so much better than most for this task.

In her off time, Jiao spends it at her place trying to make a mini museum of sorts, at an actual museum for ideas, or monitoring local fashions. Jiao is a "beauty" snob and makes no efforts to hide it. Which works out because no one expects the Princess to be a runner. If anyone happens to ask who knows her, she's a Paris Hilton type or a "problem solver", not a runner. It's only a matter of time before a group needs a face though and the beauty of the job or challenge would be impossible to resist....


[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-24-15/1338:02>
<OOC> If I get some time I'll write one of a corp run where she stole a datachip from a corp and just walked right out the front door. That is a good one. I also agree it's Lung I just don't like editing posts. Oh and I still am behind on the ordeal intro for her but I will catch up on that.

Just please don't murder the player for length. I can ramble at times.</OOC>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <10-24-15/2259:53>
(regarding the large piece of artwork) <ooc/> Yeah, I've had days when the foot odor was that bad.  Heh.  Enjoyed the post, thanks!  I'll get to work and post soon myself.  </ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-26-15/1041:35>
<ooc> phew those are a few long posts there mathblade! +1 karma (making a total of +2 karma for posts here)! Next time I would suggest keeping things a little shorter, edit for emphasis! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-31-15/1434:31>
Short post about a contact:

Jiao knows Ms. Wu from back in her shadow running days in Hong Kong. She normally operates out of a beauty parlor that Jiao frequented as a child before she learned the makeover spell. Occasionally before she went to Hong Kong she would go by for the latest bits of gossip and practice her Chinese and she would tell her about problems that corporate men and women had in the shop and she would fix them. She met Ms. Wu from her original corporate man in the backstory. Normally when she feels a need to gossip she will let them go do her nails or some such and just listen in.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-01-15/1210:48>
<ooc> great I like this.
What's her Beauty parlor's name?
Anything notable about her personality or appearance?
How about her meta-type?
Let's make this contact a good source for Corporate gossip in Hong Kong. Given the above I would assume her little manicure shop is in a nice part of town easily accessible by corporate wageslaves, either in a high end residential neighborhood or corporate business area. Perhaps Victoria Peak (high-end residential where your apt is) or Aberdeen neighborhood in the Southern Coast district (corporate enclave, where the Wuxing sky tower is).

take your pick!

+1 karma for your contact post!
<ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-01-15/1247:17>
<ooc> this is now added to our Realmworks campaign as a point of interest. <ooc>

------------General info------------------

The Smiling Beauty Salon

The Wéixiào dì měinǚ ("Smiling Beauty" in Chinese) Beauty Parlor located in Aberdeen neighborhood in the Southern Coast district of Hong Kong caters to the many corporate wageslaves that work in the area. It is busy first thing in the morning, at lunch times and afterwork and closed on weekends. Operated by Mr's Wu for the past 20 + years it has become something of a fixture in the small corporate enclave. A small, cramped salon where it's easy to overhear conversations Wéixiào is a great place to collect corporate gossip for those in the know.
 
It's rumored that Mr's Wu aggregates the more juicy gossip and offers it to her more loyal customers depending upon the level of "tip" they leave.

----------personal contact info--------------
Jiao knows Ms. Wu from back in her shadow running days in Hong Kong. She normally operates out of a beauty parlor that Jiao frequented as a child before she learned the makeover spell. Occasionally before she went to Hong Kong she would go by for the latest bits of gossip and practice her Chinese and she would tell her about problems that corporate men and women had in the shop and she would fix them. She met Ms. Wu from her original corporate man in the backstory. Normally when she feels a need to gossip she will let them go do her nails or some such and just listen in.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-01-15/1255:44>
<ooc:>

She is a human, but an elf poser. She puts on fake elf ears every day and has a jealousy towards true elves. She watches her weight to try to be more elf like while saving up for surgery to be more Elven especially the ears.

Personality wise she doesn't reveal much as she normally is a great listener. However when people talk about elvish stuff or anything fashion related she smiles like Christmas and never shuts up. That and corporate gossip make her swoon. She is like the modern version of an e! Weekly addict except with Corporate stuff.

She is in the Aberdeen neighborhood in order to get her gossip high. Jiao usually pays for gossip and tips by either teaching her words in Sperithial (spelling off sorry posting on my phone)!or by letting her get a good look at her features. She also pays for cable just for more things to gossip about with corporate clients. Her world is built around gossip. If Jiao gives her some and lets her talking sometimes she pays in Chinese as well. It has been a long time since nuyen has changed hands between these two.

And yay! Point of interest!! During some of this extensive downtime she will show up there from time to time..</ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-01-15/1258:34>
<ooc> xclnt i will get this info added to her listing <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-01-15/2322:03>
Talismonger, connection 3, loyalty 3.  "You and the contact are even".  Human female, elderly (but healthy and vigorous), prefers cash/credstick.  Vice:  personal grooming/clothes.  Personal life:  Family.  Type:  Swag. 

Kati Drdla was born in the Czech Republic when there was one, way back in 1990.  At 22 when the UGE and dragons appeared, she looked around at her life as a retail clerk and decided life was too short to spend as a wageslave, even in gorgeous Prague.  So she sold all her possessions and moved to Berlin to live in the artists' communes south of Potsdamer Platz.  She quickly rose to the top of the field in wearable magic fashions; despite having no spellcasting powers to speak of, her assensing and fashion sensing were topnotch.  Her husband Frank Reil's work as a freelance civil engineer supported her in her early business efforts, but soon her earnings surpassed his.  She is now completely retired from the fashion business and semiretired from talismongering.  But she still has a network of magic contacts and provides a few preferred customers with access to her various magical finds.  Jan Schaefer went out of his way to protect one of her grandsons, Boris, when Boris tried his hand at smuggling. Boris has since left Germany, but he feels like he could have been in serious trouble if Jan had not come back for him during a firefight.  Naturally this earned a place in Kati's heart.  She has repaid Jan with access to several powerful fetishes, but either of them could call on the other for a favor in the future.  She does a little business "Nur bei Termin", by appointment only, from her shop "Mode Drdla" (prounounced mow-duh dirdluh, translates as "Drdla Fashions") in the ground floor of her apartment building near Unter den Linden, between Alexanderplatz and the Tiergarten.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-02-15/0938:47>
<00c> xclnt post, +1 karma! <ooc>
Title: Before the Blade
Post by: Wyt on <11-03-15/0128:01>
Audio Log---Initializing

I remember...a lot actually...when my whole family died...everyone I knew...carried off into an abyss known as death. There wasn’t much…There wasn’t…how do I put this…Life was gone. I remember my mother teaching the Shinto ways of summoning fox spirits to aid our training. I remember my father encouraging me to be more like my brother and to learn the ways of the sword. I remember Uncle Taka would give me pieces of paper and we would do origami with them. I remember my brother showing me what It meant to be Kageyama, a…demon of shadows. I remember the sudden crash of glass that came from the roof; the sounds of gun fire; the screams of my clan from pain and agony; the movements my father made as he slashed enemy after enemy with a steak knife he was using to chop onions with; the creatures my mother summoned as they ripped throat by throat, as the blood simply dripped…like a waterfall in spring. I remember the chaos, the conflict, the blood, the clanging of blades, and mostly the smell of death. I remember being grabbed by a black hooded figure, a hand unknown to me, hostile, then my uncle, diving towards me, his hand on fire, seemingly not burning; thrusting his hand towards the hand that grabbed me, burning and drilling through bone and cartilage like a hot knife or a welding torch. I remember a man walking through the front door holding two of my clans, my family members, by the throat as they dangled lifelessly. His suit was silver, his facial features seemed generic and constantly moving like some kind of disguise spell. His power and speed were overwhelming. He grabbed my father by the shoulder, and all I could hear were the sounds of crackling bone and screams of anguish. I’ve become all to familiar with this sound now. I remember this man thrusting his hands into my father’s stomach and pulling his intestines out with ease. My poor mother, stunned, shaken, distraught, confused, no thoughts to comfort her, nor bring her to reason. She stood up faced me and my brother, and told us to run. Her body glowed with a yellowish orange aura, she held her hand out, and suddenly me and my brother were on the streets. Our temple in distant view, in that mountain, at least for a second. Fire, explosions, rain of embers, all could be seen on this dark wet street. Our home was obliterated, destroyed, all that remained were screams, and charred remains. I was only 5 then, my brother was 10. We ran, followed protocol, I was to young to know protocol, but my brother knew it. He used our fathers contacts to get places, and eventually get to another branch of our clan. It was there I stayed for 12 years, learning our clan’s ways, and attempting to learn about what happened to our home. I had learned during that time, that I was part of a lineage of assassins and that our home was destroyed by another clan. I didn’t really care once I learned, nothing changed for me as it was. It didn’t matter until I was old enough to assist my brother with “missions.” I was excited that day, it was the first time I got to hunt with my brother, help him. He took on a father role for me since that day. He taught me all there is to know, all there was to know and how to do it. My brother built a reputation to his killing name, they called him “Wisp” as whenever he needed to kill someone, there was never any blood or trace of a death; it was as if the person just went to sleep. People quickly starting realizing with the small blade wounds, cut perfectly to the point that blood would not leak that it was an assassins doing, and the wisp works as a guide in folktales. My brother was the guide to the afterlife, the wisp. A cool name, I thought when I was younger, but its names like that, that don’t instill fear, dread, or nervousness. I learned this when my brother failed his mission due to no one knowing how frightening he could be. We both went in, I took care of the smaller guards, he almost surgically killed the tougher opponents. But the target was waiting, we were revealed through one of our own clan for a profit. My brother drew his weapon, bullets began to shatter, and he looked like a professional. A security guard came up to the room, at the sound of the bullets, he saw my brother attacking people, slitting throats and arteries. I didn’t see him, he was in my blind spot, I was busy covering my brothers back, shooting the other guys that were out of my brothers immediate reach. The security guard fired his gun, 9 times in my back but I didn’t feel a single a bullet. This security guard didn’t know who I was, or who my brother was, or any man here, he just shot at whatever seemed most threatening. If he knew my brother was an assassin he probably would have froze up, left the room and called for backup. But instead he shot because he did not know who we were. To this day I don’t have a single bullet wound on my back, because you see…I took none of those 9 bullets, no instead my brother moved as fast as he could to save me. He took 1 of those bullets right to the heart, and demolished the other 8. He wasn’t fast enough to stop the first bullet, so he took the shot, jumped right in the way, he didn’t even know he was shot. He turned and faced me, every enemy in that room fell down at the same time, dead, cold. His face looked just like theirs, flushed, pale, panicked. He asked me what was wrong, and I guess the pain in his chest began to throb, because he looked down towards his shirt. That hole was there, blood slowly starting the escape. I can still see his bewildered face as he fell towards the ground…dying. He gave me his sword, his only real possession, and told me to get revenge for our family. “Make the family proud, and take care of my body, no trace, remember?” yeah, that’s what he said. I remember leaving, quickly, eyes blurry, from the wind and tears, as I ran down the side of the building with his body in my arms. I lost the ability to trust my clan since the betrayal, I still work with them, one of them gives me missions and I go do them, in return I get paid, information and money. In fact he is the one who paid me to come kill you. I don’t normally speak to my targets, don’t normally talk about myself either, sorry about that its just, it’s the anniversary of my brothers death. Its been 4 years to the day. Understand, that unlike my brother I will not be quick in your death. You are a therapist, and you know peoples secrets, well one of those people has paid my contact, to pay me, to kill you. Unlike my brother, The Wisp, I am not here to guide you to a peaceful death. I am the man who will watch you bleed out in agony, there is no salvation, only your death.

Other man’s voice, breathing quickly, raspy, almost as if in subtle pain from a lower abdomen wound, “please ill do…ill do anything! just let me go, I wont say a word, ill start a new life! Be like your brother, the Wisp, remember!”

“sorry, nothing personal, just business, and business is booming…”*sudden slashing sounds can be heard along with the sound of screaming and heavy panting*

Well now that your bleeding out, ill tell you my name, not my real name of course, but the kind of name my brother had. He was the wisp, but I haunt my enemies till they die, they are aware of my presence, they know to fear me when I arrive, they know who is coming for them. The creature that feast on your dreams, that’s impossible to kill, that’s born out of intense desire of revenge, they call me… The Wight.

Audio Log----End
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-03-15/0951:29>
<ooc> nice background story post, +1 karma! Next time a few paragraph breaks perhaps? ;-) <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-07-15/0116:05>
During the time you've known Jan (pronounced "yawn" or "yon"), you've learned that the dwarf likes to look easily overlooked and easily underestimated.  He’s also usually wearing shabby clothes, and looking generally unemployed, underfed, unwashed and ungroomed.  His rare smiles are sad but often gripping and intimate, engaging you with unexpected force.  He is reasonably well muscled despite his habit of eating nasty bland street food in large quantities. 

Jan conceals a couple of fetishes and a small amount of other magical gear under his trench coat or armored jacket.  The magical gear has a vaguely druidic look, with a mix of found-art urban detritus along with the usual bird feathers, small skulls, and nifty polished rocks and ores.  Easily accessible under the coat he also likes to carry a machine pistol, and he totes along a worn and patched green bag (somewhere between a gym bag and a duffel) with an AK 97.  The AK is usually wrapped in a few T shirts to reduce noise and soften the occasional bump against furniture. 

Jan prefers lager.  If only ale is available he’ll drink it, but occasionally make faces while doing so.  Cheap Turkish style soykaf, abysmally cheap sweet wine, and also strong Russian style tea.

After you've known each other for a while (probably after about two missions that go loud), he finally opens up a little. 

"My magic?"  Jan considers a while, and takes a slow sip of his lager.  "Ach" (pronounced with a thick accent, sounding like "awk" or "ock"), "Ok, I say that we known each other for some time haff.  I tell."  Another thoughtful pull on the beer.  "I have it on mostly from the guppies learnt.  Goopsies?  Jipsies?  Yes, GypsiesRoma.  Have I the right word?  It was in Marienbad." Mar-EE-un-butt is what it sounds like.  You notice that his English is worse than usual tonight.  He's probably not drunk, with that Dwarven constitution, but maybe he is distracted, or trying to decide how much to share.  He looks even more bleak and distant than usual.

"I read that it is similar by your Sioux or Witches.  In my home I am Strassenhexe, street witch, so called.  The gypsies learn magic here and there, from yoodisch" (does he mean Jewish, you wonder?) "and Catholisch and old folk traditions and Druids and even the elfs."  Seeing that you understand, he nods and continues.  "But unsimilar to Druids and many witches, I cannot spirits call.  I never that learned haff.  But I get by."  After seeing him in action a couple of times, you tend to agree. 

 
<00c> I will write more bio after checking in with Adam on some of the dates and historical events.  Jan is a multiple-times refugee within Germany who is scarred by losing family members one at a time during their multiple relocations.  He has not yet mentioned why or how he wound up in Hong Kong, evading the question without apparent emotion when it comes up. <00c>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-07-15/1057:45>
<ooc> xclnt origin post +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Titus on <11-07-15/1235:15>
The Cabbie sits down, pouring over many volumes of arachiac texts mainlining coffee for about a week. The calls had been less frequent, so she decides to study how to hack hosts. During the process, she begins to see remote details on the Matrix she had never seen before.

To anyone else observing her, she looks like either a very desperate graduate student or a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Papers are pinned to the wall and scattered all over the floor to her room. Yes, physical papers. "You can't hack paper." She says to herself.

It was all to hack into an impenetrable system that when she was a kid, no one thought could be hacked. She didn't even do anything when she got there. Getting in was good enough. The people teasing Cabbie for being a slow hacker were likely add dead anyway (she lost contact years ago), but it meant a lot to her to get in.

She cleans her tracks and logs out. She cleans up and acts like everything's normal.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-07-15/2229:50>
On the ride to Disneyland, Jan mutters "it could be us."  "What?" Cabbie asks while merging left into the slow lane.  She has to focus a little harder than usual on the offramp, because traffic is all going the wrong way from her reflexes and years of experience. Jan speaks up more clearly.  "I said, that it us been could have.  Working security, for a boss we know for two or three months.  Blown up and shot down for on the wrong side being.  I am happy it is not us, but of course.  Does it not affect you?"  He waits for a response. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-08-15/1200:53>
<ooc> yup you're right that could have been you guys. The question is, how would you stop that happening to your team? Nice work yesterday folks ;-) <ooc>
Title: A "running" start
Post by: Wyt on <11-12-15/0216:31>
-----Journal Entry--Unknown 15

I got to do a run with some friends…well…acquaintances. Its been a while since I got to do a simple shadow run. Generally, its all about making myself known, or sneaking towards my target(s); laying waste to their defenses; and killing everyone there. This time the job was more than an assassination. Those are fun, easy, since you can just think on your feet. I laughed a little as the team I was placed with put so much planning in their goal. They don’t understand that plans can change on a moments notice. Well they learned quickly once things started to not go as planned. I watched the subtle signs of panic originate in the team’s minds, I simply waited, waited for the plan to get back on track. No matter what our enemies did, there was no escape from me. You learn in the assassination business not to panic, even when looking down the barrel of a gun, or fighting a spirit specifically summoned to erase you from existence.

These experiences change you, make you patient. They don’t make you think of backup plans, no…they heighten your reflexes, your instincts, your need to survive. If your instincts aren’t kicking in, warning you, then everything is going to be fine. I’ve learned to trust my subconscious, put my self on auto pilot and focus on my primary objectives. Ambushing another group of shadowrunners, so simple. Most shadowrunners, don’t know me yet, or even know my reputation. It makes killing so easy when people underestimate you.

My enemies today, they got to see the real me, only problem is, so did my allies. Once my enemies van was tipped over, instinct took over. And as I said, I always listen to my instincts. I drew my brothers blade, ran towards the van, vaulted, right on to the top. My light body makes it easy to move around, especially when its be trained to move faster, quicker, than everybody else. I wanted to startle my enemies a little, I tried to make it dark as night in that van. They scurried out of it like insects, scared of a little darkness. I had a feeling they were hiding waiting for someone to make a mistake, so they could make their escape. Running on top of the van, like a trained assassin, silent with every step, I knee slid towards the front, low and behold. 3 people getting ready to load their guns; no one expects an aerial assault, it’s a natural blind spot for any creature, that’s why I specialize in it. I kicked off the van towards them, twisting my body in mid air, as my blade found the necks and shoulders of my enemies. My first victim carried no weapons, like a fool. I could feel his power, he probably thought he was skilled enough in melee combat to defeat any enemy with his bare hands. I guess he never learned how to catch a blade.

A teammate of mine tried to warn them to surrender, before it got so hectic. She has seen me fight before, but I don’t think she has ever seen the real me, my real skills. Last time it was just some junkies, but these enemies were trained just as well as we were. I landed on the tip of the van after my surprise attack, then I felt a bend in the physical plane. A quick glance I could tell it was a spirit, and I watched as the ground under it began to corrode. It was quick, tried to attack me immediately, almost as if it understood who the real threat was. It struck with precision, but this isn’t my first time battling a spirit, so I closed my eyes, sensed it, and parried each blow. To my surprise however it seemed to be injured immediately after I parried its attack. A whip could be seen stripping the acidic back of this creature. It was more than impressive, made me curious whether the whip was enchanted, or if the user is just that good. One of the guys tried to run away, a teammate quickly cut off his escape route then played mind games with him; toyed with him, telling him she was trying to help, help save him. She bought me enough time to shoot him in the back with my grapple gun, and drag him towards me.

They were interrogated later; I was surprised at the skill a teammate shown in the art of interrogation. She knew how to push for answers, how to lay out a rope of hope, only for the rope to be a serpent of trickery. We had a technomancer too, first time I’ve seen one of those. She hacked a host in seconds, I understand why the world is starting to fear them more than anyone else. We got that part of the job done, but the party isn’t over. We still got a few more things to do, and there’s whispers of a man who instills fear in well known shadowrunners. Its funny though, one thing about whispers…there’s always someone doing the whispering…
This man is fairly well known as a man who can hold himself, defeat a group of 5 shadow runners with ease, well…he has never met this team…nor has he ever met…me…

This enemy will understand…before the black…comes the wight…

End journal entry----last accessed :Unknown
Don't go to these docks for a day, unless you want to tread water.
Title: Team NAME?!
Post by: Wyt on <11-12-15/0239:56>
So out of character, i think it would be cool, to have a team name, since its important to gain reputation. If my team has any ideas, that would be sweet, if left to me it would be something ninja-y, or proverbial, maybe a little mythical, like "Mists" or "Dawns" i am a fan of two or one word team names. Suggestions?! Found a cool picture for our team, just gotta photoshop a little more so i (aka the guy on the right) look more ninja like, and Jiao gets her red dress, unless someone else has other suggestions on the picture
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-12-15/1439:51>
<ooc> nice run recap +1 karma! Team name eh? Be my guest, brainstorm awaY! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-12-15/2136:33>
Pausing to reflect on the mission, Jan congratulates himself and the team on thorough and careful planning.  As always, having a step-by-step plan is what brought success.  From the sound of things, if Ganymede had been part of the combat, it might have ended very differently.  His underlings were not as deceived as would have been ideal, nor as surprised as they could have been.  Ganymede's intellect and perspective as a team leader might have allowed them to smell the rat when the HK police included an anglo dwarf with a German accent along with a not-very-convincing conversation with the team's Mandarin-speaking "officer".  And his primary asset seems to be speed- that might have changed everything

But they were sufficiently deceived, and sufficiently surprised.  The plan to locate the van worked flawlessly; the bomb went off with the perfect amount of force to rattle and disorient its occupants; the combat went briefly and smoothly, with overwhelming force tipping the balance almost before the first shots were fired. 

Yes, Jan thinks, proper planning once again led to near-perfect execution, no matter what the cocky elf with the swords has to say about it.  Having all the right assets in the right place and the right time made the separation, the capture, and the interrogation work like a Swiss watch. Or a German train schedule that railroaded the Olaya cartel straight to hell. 

Jan musters his concentration and ends his musings, and begins casting the spells that will allow him and the elf to hide in the back of the Disneyland van.  Time to take one more passenger to hell.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-13-15/0938:06>
<ooc> nice recap, good to have another perspective on the run. Both posts are good for exposing the internal thinking your characters. +1 karma! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-14-15/0222:44>
<ooc: Sorry this is so late! Long week! Looking forward to game tomorrow! ></ooc>

Jiao smiled back at her apartment after that mayhem was over. Once again she continued her streak of not having to cast a combat spell. Sure she has tried some banishings recently but most of the time she let the others handle icky combat. Deception is more her thing. Looking back at how efficient everyone was Jiao smiled. It was almost as if she got paid to tag along. Normally she would take that and just go then sleep with some corporate guy but since having joined an order and having friends for the first time something ate at her.

She actually wanted to help. Looking back at the interrogation she felt a little rusty. Maybe she was just not revived by the airport quicky anymore. Or maybe the weird guy's words about sex being a tool were sticking. Jiao shook her head. Whatever the answer was it was irrelevant now. She needed to figure out how to use the information she had on this drug to change her life around. Maybe then she could get the rounded keg back...but for now her hands roam over the file, red wine in hand. Typical Saturday night.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jrezky on <11-14-15/1937:33>
So, I know this is way late but as you might have heard, things have been hectic with the new job times and all that. Anyway, it's probably too late for karma, but here's Olofmeister's background for the record:

Olof, a troll from Essen, Germany. Olof is large, even for a troll. This means that most of his work was taking jobs as bouncers in bars & clubs around town, considering he could bounce at a club for Orks and/or Trolls. Olof made a name for himself by single-handedly stopping a gang shootout in a particular hole in the wall. Afterwards, Olof was approached by someone who called himself J-ReZ who happened to be on the scene, and said if he was looking for some shadow work, to contact a fixer in Hong Kong by the name of Andrew Zhou.

Beginning to become quite fed up with the legit work he was getting, ushering those too messed up to help themselves out the door, for too little money. He got in touch with this Zhou character, who initially introduced himself as Jin Zhou, Andrew being a sort of nickname. Olofmeister made a couple trips to Hong Kong, enough to get a lay of the land and even had enough successful work to land himself a name for himself. The frequent traveling between Hong Kong and New Seattle, while lucrative, has been leaving Olof with the feeling he'd never see his hometown again. As long as the money keeps coming, he's okay putting it off with a commlink connect once in a while, but sometime when it's convenient he'd like to visit the friends of all types he had in Essen.

Regardless, Olofmeister being a very quiet character, who generally looks intimidating just standing around, isn't one to gossip or talk about the good ol' days. Quiet and contemplative, he's usually happy just going with the flow.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-16-15/1031:52>
<ooc> congrats on first post +1 karma! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-16-15/1034:12>
<ooc> so Aiko, Ping, Wyt & Jan. What's your next step with the Yinhe? Your currently all aboard the vessel as it steams towards the Philipines on auto-nav. <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-18-15/2238:39>
Jan frowns as he thinks aloud.  "We are to sink the ship bound.  Most or all from us agree so.  The question is, if we the drugs should take up, to sell.  Right?  So, our employer has nothing about the cargo said.  That to me says take up and sell.

"But one thing occurs to me.  Can it that our employer the attack arranged?  From the Shedim?  A living shadowrunner is a paranoid shadowrunner.  That is something kind of a coincidence, not so?  That we the ship find, just while the Shedim taking it are?   I don't think so.

"Were we the B team?"
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <11-19-15/0104:05>
I would like to sink the boat, take nothing, and be done with it.
Title: Just keep swimming
Post by: Wyt on <11-19-15/0214:34>
Finally met the enemy the team was waiting for, literally waiting in the back of a van invisible. Our teammate tricked our enemy into believing that everything was fine, that no problems were present, even though two problems were quite threating. We waited until we brought him to the designated place, he started to feel paranoid, I could see it. His instincts were warning him that something was wrong, I quickly drew my sword and placed it at his throat. I told him not to move as I began to come into his vision, as the invest spell dropped. Faster than I could have ever expected, this man slapped my sword away with his bare hands.

Maneuvering in this van, crouched, with little room to work with, me and this enemy clashed, within the span of 3 seconds we had attacked each other 6 times. I was most disturbed by the fact that barehanded, he was deflecting a weapon I use to even slash spirits. I swung towards his right shoulder, he stiffened his hand into a karate chop shape and blocked my blade. He used the momentum to strike towards my throat, it was close, but I managed to bring the grip of my blade to intercept. I used the momentum to slash towards his throat, but he ducked, attempting to grab my swinging arm. I quickly spun my whole body into the attack, deflecting his grasp. He tried to punch me with his right hand, while preparing his elbow to connect to my temple. I turned my blade to its edge and attempted to cut his arms off in one motion. We collided, the force shot us both back 5 inches. I thought he had me for a moment as my guard was knocked aside. However instead he howled in what sounded like ecstasy, his groin area protruding a large erection. I had no clue what was going on.

Was this guy high? Was he on drugs? Is this a magic I’ve never heard of that increases his abilities or something? Or is this guy just some freak who gets off in combat. He seemed to be in pain from how much pleasure he was receiving, it led me to the assumption that a teammate must have caused this effect since it gave to my advantage. I tried to attack him while he was vulnerable, but he kicked the passenger door open and barrel rolled out of the van, attempting to gain some bearings. I followed suit, acrobatically spinning over his seat and rolling after him sword ready. When I got there, I see my teammate standing and rubbing herself erotically. The enemy seemed to be hit with an even stronger version of the attack, as she approached him, I quickly held him down with my knee, and a blade to the back of his head. I was curious what she was going to do, I knew she was magical and had some skill, but this was ridiculous. That magic attack basically brought down someone who was equally as good as me in combat if not better, though I hate to admit it. She leaned over, and kissed the enemy, as he went right to sleep. I’ve never seen a type of combat as this before, its horrendous, taking pleasure and injecting it into combat. Its more than distracting. Even though her attack was magical I think she could do the same thing even without the spell. She is attractive enough.

Me and the dwarf tied him up, and handed him over to our allies. We finally got a break, a moment to relax, I rested, worked out, and polished my skills, until I found my next run involves swimming. I can swim as well as anyone else could in a pool, but the assignment this time is going to require more skill than that. I’m a little worried, but honestly I’m more worried about my teammate who can utterly destroy an opponent of such caliber with ease, than drowning.
We finally get to meet our new contact, and they hired some professionals to teach us how to swim faster. After the study we are shipped off into the waters, our target is up ahead, so we get off and swim that way. The whole team is decked out in diver suites and torpedoes that we use for extreme speed underwater. That boat is coming close, and I’m prepared. I spot something in the distance, seemed like a black splotch, I couldn’t make out its shape until it got closer. A shark, not sure what kind, I didn’t care, I just pulled out my sword and waited to split it in half. It was severely harder to swing my blade underwater, so I placed my sword where I knew the shark was going to be. It cut itself trying to attack me, and scurried off running, a second one tried to attack, but a teammate stabbed it with a harpoon. We make our way to a ship, I do my job, only to watch a teammate accidentally drift to close to the underbelly of the ship. They almost got their head cut off, in fact the same person I was worried about, how I would defeat them if it came to it, was drifting off at sea, while her ride started to sink. It was humorous to watch; I was generally worried as to whether they were going to drown. Its odd I’ve never really cared for teammates since the incident with my brother, I can feel my heart’s gates slowly lifting. Its been happening recently, a lot more than id like. Makes me wonder if I’ve found a place or a group of people that I belong to, that I can call friends. Our driver apparently is an amazing swimmer, because she took off after our teammate, grabbing her, even when the other teammate was panicking and drowning, kicking and struggling.

I was glad to see the teammate safe, so me and the dwarf prepare to board the ship. Before we get on the ship we are waiting for our teammates to catch up, its where i found the time update the log.

Well, here we go…

Ps: i was able to snap a picture of my teammate harpooning the shark, before i got to come by and help. check it out, for those guys out there who are single, she likes coffee.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-19-15/1032:26>
<ooc> nice picture that's pretty accurate! nice run recap post, +1 karma! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-21-15/0415:10>
<ooc: Sorry this is late. Spent yesterday sick as hell. Since I can be wordy I am combining my contact post and my what to do about the ship post. />

Jiao nervously paced circles around where the crew was gathered as they debated what to do. There really wasn't much of a debate....They'd blow it up right??! ....Riiight???!

The old Jiao would have agreed that they would blow it up, volunteer to do it herself, blow up some random debris when everyone was far enough away and then fence it like the high lifestyle queen she was. The money is so tempting. A cold shiver went down her spine as she lay completely drenched. Another thing she has flubbed. A swimming mission. She never would have taken this mission if it wasn't for these runners. There was another reason Jiao never took group missions. Jiao fought a sneeze as she slipped into a daydream of sorts.


-- Flashback --
It was a rare rainy day in Mainland China and she found herself waiting a block and a half from a Knight Errant corporation for her "teammates" for this run. Her common sense told her this was a throw away job, meaning the Johnson expected them to die and never succeed but always the professional she said to name their price. Luckily for Jiao none of them had that common sense and were excited for the payday if they could just an info stick with the new Knight Errant security designs.

At first all was good, the decker got Jiao in on a fake ID and the muscle was able to find a Knight Errant uniform and pretend to be door security guarding the exit. The decker had one job to make sure none of the alarms went off.

On the 30th floor though an omnious *beeeeeep* Triggered in the elevator followed by a synergic voice: "Error: intrusion detected in secure systems. Initiating security reboot. Rescans required at all points."

"Jeremiah?!?!?!" I practically "screamed" into the tacnet. He muttered a lame ass apology about how he was bored and sorry but he couldn't afford to die. He chickenshitted a mission. Upon hearing his freak out the muscle abandoned the mission believing their IDs were useless. Jiao,not trusting the guys for what they were worth, exited the elevator expecting the worst.

Instead she found Michael Trevase (see backstory he is my corporate contact on character sheet) the man whose life she saved a while back. "Small world huh?" He grinned at her finally able to pay his debt. "Come with me." He took her to his back offices and gave her some old flight schematics that Knight Errant never used but just improved upon. Jiao hoped it would be enough.

Keeping cover she hobnobbed it at the Knight Errant party going on at the floor and for a moment thought she saw Nancy again. Distracting herself from the thought and buying herself time til she could escape gracefully Jiao ordered a drink and scoped the bar for beautiful people. Soon though she found her world diminishing and she tried to stumble towards the bathroom. Right before passing out Jiao noticed the same buzz cut she gave Nancy but in a formal dress, man by her side. "It's...It's..." She couldn't speak.

"Take this away boys..." A confident cool woman said. It was in complete contrast to the shy woman she met before. Had she really changed in those short years? Was it even the same person? What made her this cold? Too many questions rattled through her mind as she slumped unconscious.

When she awoke all her clothes were drenched and she had the world's worst hangover. Attempting to move was a major inconvenience as she looked at herself on the street."Shiiiit" Patting herself down she found herself amazingly with all of her shit and the info chip as well as a note.

"A life for a life. Next time you aren't running with complete tools and want KE work give me a call. "

She was lucky to escape with her life but this left more questions than answers. Is this what it meant to be in love? Have a crush? No...Jiao doesn't do those things. Mortals have crushes. All she knew was she freaking hated rain and water.

---

The boat's sudden movement brought her back to reality to where she was soaked again. Nervously she reaches for her suit to take it off but then remembers that would be weird so she plays it off like brushing her hands against her legs. Her damn water issues sometimes caused her to hallucinate back to that night. She kept almost drowning because of the flashbacks and her own damn lack of skill. Cabbie rescued her somehow to get to this point but wow. Water usually reminds her of failure but this group did fine. Without her. Water was only her failure. And failures must be hidden. No matter how tempting the money.

"Of course we blow it up. Now someone help me find a damn lifeboat because I sure as hell suck at swimming as if it wasn't obvious enough. Apparently real boobs are not good floatation devices."

She paused for a moment: this group was actually good. They could have just let her die and didn't. She was now attached to this group of misfit's better or worse.

"The name's Jiao..." She muttered into the air to see if anyone was listening. If not, their loss...

Tldr
Blowup boat
Michael is human KE Corp from contact list
Nancy may or may not be a recurring character in her life gm discretion

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-21-15/1046:14>
<ooc> nice post +1 karma for defining your contact <ooc>

Captain Teng paced back and forth across the fly bridge of the Pok Guy, a light rain misting the refitted junk. How long are those runners going to take to plant that limpet and send the Yinhe and all that valuable cargo to the bottom of the South China Sea? The thought alone made him slightly queasy; that was a lot of nuyen wasted. The kind of money they could make by fencing the Yinhe and its cargo could give him and his crew a long vacation somewhere polished with umbrella-festioooned drinks delivered by bikini-clad gwailo washouts from the Euro "model" circuit. Pretty much a smuggler captain's dream right there.

Gunfire from the boat!
That means they must have boarded the Yinhe! Maybe he would get his chance to kick back on a golden sand beach after all, the thought immediately erased his stomach pains and replaced them with a huge beaming smile that lit up the fly deck. The deckhand Yu-long turned to him with a perplexed look, "you think they will sink the boat captain?"

"Nah, if they were gonna sink it they wouldn't have boarded her Yu. We'll wait until the gunfire stops and then cruise over there and secure our prize, that Red Orchid and the Yinhe itself will fetch a nice price in Macao. I was worried for a bit there that those runners would take their job too seriously, good thing their common sense overcame their sense of duty to that South American bitch".

Yu smiled to himself, he'd never been on a sea where white people served you slushy drinks before. Who knows, maybe he would marry one and take her back to his village, that would show his first wife who was boss!

Captain Teng puts the Pok Guy into gear and motors slowly towards the Yinhe as she continues to steam on towards the Philippines.

<ooc> ok you guys have decided you want to sink the boat, nuyen be damned, What's your next step? <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-21-15/1144:12>
Letting her real name hang in the air a moment Jiao turns and looks around the ship. There were drugs tons of them. Probably more than they could take back. It all really depended on whether or not there was a darned boat. If Jiao couldn't find a life raft, there was no way in hell she could carry any respectable amount of drugs back. She nearly died with uncontrollable flashbacks. Risking everyone's lives for 500 nuyen of drugs was stupid.

"So...drugs? Loot? I take it we can at least loot the place yes?"

Hoping against hope there if there isn't a boat they will at least let her take some of the drugs to help fence, she started to scour the boat. For any loot, or anything that makes her remember what that foreign creepy feeling a little less. Or maybe a bottle of wine to soothe her fears.

<ooc: Can you do a listing of what is on the boat?>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-21-15/1610:01>
<ooc> You search the boat and quickly realize there is nothing worth pilfering on the boat. One of the cabins below deck is awash in blood that trails up the stairs to the rear diving deck you used to climb aboard. Looks like at least someone put up a fight. It's apparent that the boat auto-nav was re-routed from Hong Kong to the Philippines about 12 hours ago, which is about as good a guess as you can make right now as to when the crew was overcome / replaced by the Shedim. Eventually Jan gives out a shout from belowdecks, it seems as though the Red Orchid has been pressed into blocks, wrapped in waterproof wrapping and loaded into the bilge. Just as he relays this information to the group via your tac-net you hear Captain Teng shouting from the Pok Guy, it seems he's ready to come aboard <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-21-15/1859:00>
Shiiiiit!! He probably thinks we are selling the boat.

"Just a moment! Kinda busy here Capt'n" Jiao shouts at the top of her lungs. Over the tac-net she quickly asks her compadres if we even want to let him aboard. "I need some time to clear out what I can of these astral mother fuckers and see what we can do about this. The ship may not be salvageable but loot may be. We need some quiet to figure it out!"

Jiao hoped that gave everyone some time to take anything they want from the ship that the Captain shouldn't know about. Hurriedly she stuffs about three or four small bags of Red Orchid down her ample chest as hiding/storage space.

Over the tacnet Jiao asked them to hurry and she sprinted towards where the Pok Guy was to try to run interference. Hell if she could keep them both busy for a few hours on the Pok Guy that would give the others ample time to blow this fucker up and Jiao could pretend to be clueless.

"Looks like the other three are wrapping it up. " Jiao informed the Captain while they were close enough. "Astral scrubbing and other such clean up can be a very long process. Maybe 30 minutes maybe a few hours while they see what is salvageable. " She quickly strokes his cheek and then turns toward the other dock worker. "Surely we could move the boat to safer more private waters while we wait Captain. My colleagues will tell me when they are done."

She hoped that would keep him busy long enough.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-21-15/2206:44>
Jan busies himself loading up the lifeboat with sealed packages of drugs, delaying till later the sorting-out of any other loot from their blood-soaked prize.  "Captain Teng, does your ship cargo tools include?  To lift the smallboat out of the water? If not, we can tow the smallboat."  He gestures, and after a minute you think he means a crane."  He resumes loading, efficient and bustling without haste or sloppiness.  "We are still this ship to blow plan, Captain, but we have still five hours before the timer it blows." 

And, catching Jiao and Wyt at private moments, he asks whether they have good contacts to sell these drugs, or whether to let Teng sell them.  Jan seems intent that their "boss" from the Olaya cartel not have a chance to veto their selling plans before the Pok Guy is back in communication with her.

Jan is also eager to hear from Cabbie, Ping, or Wyt their perspectives on his conspiracy theory- that their team was launched as a plan B if the Shedim failed, or alternatively as a cleanup crew to remove the Shedim after their work on behalf of the Olaya cartel was finished. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-21-15/2316:10>
Teng pulls the Pok Guy alongside the Yinhe and engages in some chit-chat with Jiao, seeming to fall into her web of lust. Jan's efforts at bringing up bundles of vacuum packed Red Orchid from below decks snaps his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Hey, stumpy, keep that shit below, you want to get us all killed? And no you're not taking that cargo aboard my boat.".

He looks to Jiao and murmurs softly in her ear "so my little sea-elf, why don't you sit your attack dogs down on the Yinhe, let me set her course back to Macao and you and I can retire to my stateroom on the Pok Guy and meet them in port?".

He leers at Jiao and waves his hand with a flourish towards the deck of his junk.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-21-15/2333:31>
"Cleanup crew doesn't make sense Jan. Else they'd keep the boat. Looks like coincidence for now.I have some contacts if you can sneak a reasonable amount by Captain Oblivious." Jiao countered over the tacnet. There wasn't too much time to explain. She had to focus on making sure the Captain was distracted.

Turning her attention back to the matter at hand she sauntered in front of him and ran her hands along her body. "Now now...I know you are eager to steer her into port but my... Attack dogs... can handle the boat. No need for you to sully your hands. I am pretty sure they will be occupied running a certain motor boat."

Pulling on his shirt gently, she gave up all pretense towards subtlety and towards the bridge for some calibrations. "I believe...what is the phrase..." She intentionally paused to leave him hanging...We need to look at the drive shaft to get this started?
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-21-15/2334:40>
<ooc: Reasonable was emphasized. Permission to add missing tag?>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-21-15/2357:43>
Jan nods and prepares to engage in stash-and-sneak.  From various conversations and remarks, most of the team has already inferred that he has considerable smuggling experience, so this is not an unfamiliar task.  He bundles some up inside the wetsuits, particularly the watertight casings that were used to bring the guns over, as well as giving his pants a bulge that almost matches Captain Teng's. When it looks like the team has stashed as much as will survive casual inspection on the 24 hour or so return to HK, Jan joins the team checking out the doomed prize. 

He seems neither surprised nor excited by Ping's distraction techniques- this is old hat, albeit in a new setting.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-22-15/0148:20>
The good captain bends to Jiao's affections without any hesitation, although once it becomes apparent that the you do not mean to retain the boat and it's cargo he seems to lose much of his ardor.

One of his subordinates takes the helm of the Pok Guy and shouts orders in a pidgin of Philipino, Thai and Chinese as Teng and Jiao descend below decks.

<ooc> you can stash a few thousand nuyen worth of Red Orchid on your persons without risking detection. The boat is rigged to blow in about 6 hours and 45 minutes from now so nothing more for you to do here unless you want to <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-22-15/0151:42>
<ooc: I was trying to distract the Captain so they could bring on as much as they like :) Plus she wouldn't have to swim...lol > </ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-22-15/1055:00>
<ooc> Yeah it's pretty clear that Teng is not interested in taking the cargo aboard his boat. He's paranoid about getting caught by the Black Chrysanthemum. Your choices are smuggle as much as you can fit on your person (not much) or take the Yinhe with it's cargo to Macao and fence it <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-22-15/1119:06>
<ooc: Well damn...Smuggle on my person it is I guess. />
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-22-15/1656:07>
<Agreed.  Stuff the weapons containers and our pants and keep a watchful eye on them- no shadowrunner would let a captain touch his AK or his other gun. />
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-22-15/2015:31>
<ooc:  Quote of the day, Run and Gun p. 59.  "No matter what the dice pool says, you cannot hide an assault cannon inside assless chaps."  I'll keep that in mind.  /ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <11-22-15/2214:47>
*wyt watches his teammates grab merchandise, and simply and only watches, he doesn't seem to care,but it does seem to bother him a little.* If you all are ready, i got the remote right here...we can detonate and leave...i sincerely think its a bad idea to take the goods, but the team has shown itself to be capable of taking care of themselves, i will not be taking any, since when I'm hired to do something, i do that and only that. i originally was curious to see if anything was lootable but hoping for something more mundane and useful than drugs.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-23-15/1233:38>
After packing as much Red Orchid as you can into your armored diving suits (i.e. not much) you reboard the Pok Guy and the crew set course for the return voyage to Hong Kong.

Once you get a few hundred meters between you and the Yinhe Wyt triggers the limpet minds you attached, you hear a dull thud and she slips gracefully into the briny deep of the South China Sea never to be seen again.

The trip back to port is uneventful, you see little of Captain Teng and Jiao, it would seem the Pok Guy is not as well maintained as indicated as they seem to spend a significant amount of time belowdecks "inspecting her transmission".

Arriving back in Hong Kong you disembark and meet with Sacristan, bringing her up to speed on the destruction of the Yinhe. She seems pleased, collects the scuba equipment, pays your retainer fee and gives you a day off to recover.

A quick call to Deng brings your real employers up to speed on the mission, meanwhile you can keep or fence your Red Orchid.

<ooc> your character sheets are up today with your $$ and karma awards. If you decide to fence the Red Orchid you each get an additional $1000 nuyen.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-23-15/1345:33>
<ooc> Hey, Wyt, you got a cat or two walking on your keyboard?  Or did you try some of the Red Orchid?  <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <11-23-15/2207:36>
yeah sry about that i was watching some kids for a friend at their daycare while they did some errands, and one of them pressed a lot of my keys when i wasn't looking and the enter button so much that it didn't show up in my immediate view lol.

in other words *it appears as if wYt tried some of the red orchid, although he swears up and down he didn't and seems to be telling the truth, or at least you think HE believes he didn't try any*
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-24-15/0000:06>
Jiao came back after the fiasco attempt that was swimming in the ocean and shook off her boots and clothes as fast as she could. There was almost nothing redeemable about that run from her perspective. Things got ugly. She wanted to kick some butt and be helpful but by the time she and Cabbie finally got on the boat things were almost wrapped up. Taking a bottle of wine from her cabinet, she poured herself a glass of wine to try to steel her resolve.

You go girl!! They'd be lost in the astral without you.

Grabbing some cheese from her fridge, she put away the bottle and got ready to chillax for the night and conquer the day new, maybe with shopping. However as she was watching ANTM Cycle 250, her fan blew open the research on her desk about the drug Tempo. In it a lady was described being comatose. This reminded her a little bit of the drug Shade and wondered if the girl was even alive in the Astral.

Oh noo you don't. This is fun times...You're selfish remember? You don't do sentimental...

Jiao turned up the TV a little bit and tried to block it out. It worked for all of 30 seconds as they kept talking about the damn Tempo and to turn it up. Sighing, Jiao couldn't shake the feeling she was meant to do something. Turning off the TV, Jiao poured the rest of the wine down the drain and finished the last bits of pepper jack cheese (well soy cheese) and blew a kiss in the air.

"Fantismo" she said to no one in particular. Changing into a T shirt and jeans, a rare look for Jiao, she sprawled out on her magnificent bedspread that threatened to swallow her whole. Sinking into it, she allowed herself a few moments of bliss before beginning her work.

Closing her eyes she envisioned the hospital where the girl was at and attempted to send her astral self over to the hospital just to get a sense of the astral situation in the area. Were things okay and she just fucked up? Or was it a shitstorm that she couldn't do anything about? She really wanted to help this girl, but first she had to know if she could.

Zooming closer Jiao waited with bated breath. Please don't be stupid again....
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <11-24-15/1602:49>
Returning from the mission, a little tired from being out of his element, Wyt went to his hotel room. As he arrived, he opened a carbonated beverage, and a white styrofoam box. Within the box lied some imitation Chinese food, and chopsticks. Wyt began to ponder. he began to think about the weakness he displayed in front of that terrifying creature. Fear...is something assassins use on a daily basis, they use it to weaken enemy forces, they use it to detect strong enemies, but generally fear ties with the assassin’s instinct. It hits before you turn the corner, letting you know that on the other side of this wall is a true threat. However, this time his instincts were dulled, maybe even "water logged." nothing told him there was a threat, nothing warned him that something truly horrid was on the other side. Wyt thinks to himself "what if I was caught by that creature, what if it knew I was coming and was waiting for me, would I have died?"

Never a dull moment in the assassin trade, you come to expect your life is always a coin toss away; however, this was different, true fear, true death, an end to a philosophical cycle of perpetuity...an end to life. Trained not to care for another's life but with no direction or sentiment towards your own...the way of an assassin. You are never taught except maybe through experience what you should feel towards your own life. Should you not care whether you live or die, in exchange for annulment of emotion, to make the job easier on the psyche. Wyt has never needed to think about these things, his life has never been in immediate threat, even if it ever comes to a time in which his life is threatened he can "always run" thought Wyt. This creature said "I WILL HAVE YOUR BODY!!" and Wyt was filled with dread, fear, so he ran, "fuck that" he thought.

sprinting down the stairs passed his teammates, worried as he truly believed he had run into something he could not defeat, his instincts told him so. However, after hiding, catching his breath, he hears his teammate, that hot elf, yell at him, to man up. the sounds conflicted, between her attempt at a military style encouragement, and the sound of mental struggle as wet debated the pros and cons of fighting that creature. he looked over the edge of the object he hid behind to watch his allies fire bullets upon bullets into this creature. it didn't go down for a while, it wanted a body and was more than apt at taking them. Wyt watched as the monster was battling his teammates, he stopped looking for a moment to gather his composure and help his team. he told himself, "on the count of 5, I'm going, IM NOT THIS WEAK, I CAN DO THIS!!!" by the time he got to the number 5, he turned readied his weapon and stood up, positioning himself to jump towards the creature.

As soon as he stood there he saw quite an epic moment, as the creature threw all its weight, and bullet hole ridden body towards the dwarf named Jan. the dwarf moved closer towards the creature, a very fine move, and placed his gun into the mouth of the creature, pulling the trigger as nothing but scattered brain remained. The creature didn't stop moving, the hot elf shot some kind of bolt of energy towards the creature, it finally stopped, it stood there, said something with its headless body and fell to the ground lifeless. a feeling of relief washed over Wyt, as he told himself, "I need to steel myself, I must conquer fear today, or it will haunt me. His teammates debated on whether to steal shit from the boat and blow it up, or just leave and blow it up. No one mentioned Wyt fleeing for his life, this encouraged a type of feeling in his chest, as he wondered if this is what it means to have friends.

He watched them grab some drugs from the boat, though he didn't grab any himself, and once everyone got back on the original boat, he watched as he used his remote trigger to blow the boat up. He stared into the fire that coursed and flared on the open water, and captured the image into his eyes, burned it into his mind, as he remembers this day to the best of his ability, as a milestone to the path he has embarked. Whenever he becomes afraid he will remember this day, as the day he met true fear, experienced it, and learned from it.

Wyt slips on some more comfortable clothes, as he recalls his day, and his memories from earlier, he cuts the TV on, watches some action series about a troll who can't die, due to an immortality curse given by a dragon. he eats his food, drinks his beverage, and sleeps, a little more peaceful. As his eyes close he reminds himself to meditate in the morning, and reflect on his actions, his judgment, and to learn a way to deal with fear. He remembers an instance where the hot elf teammate whispers her name, he wonders whether it was because she is starting to trust the team, next time he sees her, he will say her name, and see what her reaction is. he then begins to sleep, but not before another thought hits him, he tells himself "maybe the elder will know a good way to deal with fear." as he drifts into a slumber and rest his body and mind.

Ps: Watched some "Vorbrak the immortal" today, one of the coolest scenes in the episode as he meditates while his house is being burned down, as he searches the astral plane for a spirit who knows some information on Gina (you know who she is if you watch the show). I heard this guy used to be a shadow runner before he was an actor, here is a picture of the scene.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-24-15/2006:04>
<ooc> Jiao your character unfortunately does not know what hospital the patient was taken to and it was over 2 weeks ago in game time. If you're interested in finding out what a Tempo addict looks like on Tempo you could do some digging around the club scene in Hong Kong to find out which venues see a lot of Tempo users attending and then astrally scout those locations when they have a good crowd in attendance. <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-24-15/2029:33>
Jan nods approvingly at the Tsingtao.  "Almost good enough German to be.  A proper Lager."  He's happy to finally not be drinking thin Chinese beer or bitter, hoppy Seattle brews.

"I think I am the hung of Honk Konk getting.  Hang?  Hung?  Hangen?"   He sips.  It almost seems odd that he doesn't have a mustache or beard; so many dwarves do, and you have an unconscious expectation of seeing foam on a hairy dwarven face after a pull of beer.  "But in Germany it was cleaner.  Yes, you have your toxic spirits from the northwest and the SOX.  But if something was trying to kill you in Germany it usually had blood pumping in it, and it would pause if you a part of it off shot!

"Smuggling drugs is not me new.  Capturing enemy scouts and agents, also not me new.  OK, boats, that is new.  But we were prepared and equipped and trained.  Proper.  But these shedim geisten?  What kind for an enemy is this?"  He shakes his head and frowns at his lager.  "Dead, dirty, and they care not.  Not one tiny bit.  Shoot them and they keep coming.  And talking.  Scares the shit out of me too, truthfully.  I know not why I alzo not running have.  Were?  Haffen?  Gott, these verbs in English, so difficult."

He sighs heavily.  "But, I am getting the hang of them too, I think.  So?  Next piece of business- the drugs.  If we them to sell going are, and to who.  I, I think that we should them thru the Red Dragons sell.  They equip us with very nice ammunition, very expensive, but it makes such difference.  Truthfully you need such here, to shoot through all the dirty armored spirits."
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-24-15/2057:21>
<ooc> nice run recap wyt! +1 karma. Also +1 to resist fear from shedim for your pc's meditation and reflection on the nature of fear. <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-24-15/2349:55>
<ooc> Jiao your character unfortunately does not know what hospital the patient was taken to and it was over 2 weeks ago in game time. If you're interested in finding out what a Tempo addict looks like on Tempo you could do some digging around the club scene in Hong Kong to find out which venues see a lot of Tempo users attending and then astrally scout those locations when they have a good crowd in attendance. <ooc>

After attempting to scout a nearby hospital for 15 minutes without finding the girl Jiao felt downtrodden and went back and looked at the notes. The date stood out in her mind. Two weeks?!?! She threw the paper as far as she could in frustration.

"Damn it!!! " She screamed out in frustration at the world. Soon after Jan comes into her tacnet suggesting to sell it to the Red Orchid. Laughing she has to restrain herself from sarcastically chiding him and waits for a moment and gently replies to the English impaired runner.

"Jan...Selling it is good. However we don't want to reveal to our employer we took on additional money otherwise it could get back to the Black Crysanthenum. Always assume you are being watched. Because you probably are. Instead charitable "donations" in exchange for money with dealers or corps is for the best. I know a few people we can unload it on. And I will keep about half of my stash as leverage."

In doing so Jiao hid half of her stash in a safe in her apartment. She definitely didn't want word getting out that some of the Orchid is available else the Black Chrysantenum may think we pawned the boat instead of destroying it.

That left the small problem of how to help young girls taking Turbo. Sex is a good weapon when used on the willing. On the catatonic it is a crime against nature. Knowing that new drugs hit the club scene and most everyone deserves a night off Jiao wondered if she could convince her runner buddies to go with her to scope out the nearby scene. Then maybe as she danced around she could save some girls from their Turbo'd selves or Shade or whatever is happening to these people.

Over the tacnet she sent out a group commique: "Free drinks at the Miankong tonight for those who want to party off this run. I'm buying! " <ooc: Miankong is a translation of the word Faces in English. In Sacramento it is a gay bar but in this world I figure it would be a come as you are upscale ish (upper middle class or just middle class) establishment. You would want to be in clothes you can move in but still feel handsome or beautiful in.> </ooc>

Jiao figured if she was working on her day off, nigh on close to free body guards in her favorite haunt can't hurt.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-25-15/0125:14>
"Thank you, Ping, for your two invitations.  I would be very happy with you to sell the drugs.  In my past I am always the drugs to a seller moving, not selling them my self.  But for the drinks, well, not tonight I think.  It has one hell from a day been."
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <11-25-15/0513:15>
Wyt wakes to a com link message, he sighs a bit, then realizes its been a while since he last went out and enjoyed himself. he replies back to jiao, using her real name instead of ping, with a "sure ill come, send me the address."
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-25-15/1136:21>
<ooc> +1 karma to Jan for his run recap. Jan, Jiao and Cabbie have about $1k of Red Orchid each in small baggies. Just let me know how much of it you want to fence/ sell. Jiao I got you from your comments above. I'll post updated character sheets today.

I like the idea of the bar Jiao, I'll add it as a location to Hong Kong as you describe it above, nice. I'll post in a bit re: the visit to the club <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-25-15/1331:04>
Miankong is a translation of the word Faces in English. As the hub of Hong Kongs gay party scene and currently very trendy it attracts a wide range of the younger party set; equal parts hardcore partiers, hedonistas and slumming corp-rats.

Located downtown in a recycled Uncle Ho's Mighty Chicken storefront it looks like an abandoned fast-food restaurant to the casual oberver. The long lines of party-people that gather out front after dark gives away it's current use, that and the 50,000 watts of thumping base that accosts all passers-by within 50 yards.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-26-15/1233:20>
//trash/recovered// From: Trina
Subject: TempOMG!
I tried it last night! Sally and her boyfriend took me to a club in Tarislar where they knew a guy moving the stuff. I think his name was Biggs, or Biggie, or Smalls; something like that. Anyway, I have tried a lot of shit and this is better than all of it. You’ve got no idea. It’s brilliant. What is taking you so long to try it? I’m heading back out to the Daisy Chain tonight. That dealer said he’d be there around midnight, just when the party starts taking off. There’s a lot of poseurs who hang out around that area but it’s worth it to get your hands on “flipside.” You wanna go with?—T. //upload misc intercept batch_260471 :: user Riser

NEWS REPORTER IN DRUG OVERDOSE New Seattle Intelligencer [NN]
SEATTLE, UCAS: Jania Shields, beat reporter for the NSI, was found dead in her home early this evening. Best known for her 2069 expose’ on the Or’Zet rock culture, Shields was seen as a cutting edge journalist willing to take every risk to get her story. It is unknown what story she was working on at the time of her death, but sources close to the Intelligencer indicate that it had something to do with the much talked about drug, flipside. Lone Star has promised an investigation into her death. She is survived by her mother and sister.

<ooc> the above posts were recovered by Cabbie via a matrix search. It's also a few weeks out of date and refers to activity in Seattle, the Olaya Cartel's stop before Hong Kong <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-26-15/1517:48>
Checking Jan's room one last time to see if you can persuade him to join you at the club, you see an interesting scene when he opens the door.  Jan's commlink, lying on the coffee table, shows a large picture of Jan!  Younger, leaner, and more upbeat as he grins at the camera.  You shoot Jan an inquiring look and he flushes and stammers.  "No, it is not me.  You think I am some kind of Narcissus?  It is my brother, Rudi.  See that gun he is carrying?  It is the same so mine, at least before all the modifications.  We were so proud when we got those guns.  We joined a Kurdish militia fighting the bugs in Constantinople, I think in 2055.  Proud days. Come in, come in, sit," he says, offering you a chair.  You can see that he feels the need to unburden himself, so you take a chair and accept a refreshment. 

"We were born, twinnings, in Westphalia.  Not a friendly place for Dwarves to be.  Our catholischer mother, we are lucky.  Most women would after being raped by a soldier abortion have."  He continues in a rush, possibly choking down a quick emotion.  It's rare that you see his stoic mask slip, and you lean forward with interest.  "Our mother she did the best that she to do could.  But it was impossible to get us SINs, her husband left her almost as soon as she got back from her deployment in Poland.  You would think war heroes and veterans would well treated be; Germany barely held up against Russia in that war.  But she had metahumans born, and no one cared if it her fault had been.  So, she could only get base jobs," (he says "yobs", but you restrain yourself from correcting him) "and no social support, not even from the church as soon as we born were been.  We grew up punks.  We learned to sneak and steal, and we were very good at it.   Joining a militia was a big step up, our first positions of trust and responsibility!  She was with us very proud.  So proud we were too.  Our last day as a happy family to be."

He pauses you and looks to see if you are interested.  "So, I ramble on, and you want toward the club, dance going.  This can wait I suppose."  He waits to see if you express interest in hearing more. 
Title: Wyt's Mentor Spirit Background
Post by: Wyt on <11-26-15/1617:30>
When Wyt was brought in to the other branch clan with his brother, he was placed into a room similar to the bottom of a well. The brick was wet and slimy from algae and moss, the floor was cold and damp, there was a ceiling but it was tall and long and hard to see the top as there was no light in this room. The clan called this room, the veil; it was specifically designed to make meditation, astral projection, and astral perception easier to use, as long as you were calm in the room. The clan members use it to contract spirits, and obtain their mentor spirits, which is an ancient tradition held by the clan. Every clan member must have a mentor spirit, and once the mentor has decided it cannot be of any more help to the disciple it is free. Typically, if you die in the clan of natural causes, your spirit is tethered to the material plane so you can become a mentor spirit to the next children who take your place in the clan. They called the room “the well of beginnings” but was is merely a magical lodge with rituals to augment magical abilities and astral projecting.

Since the unforeseen instances that occurred to the clan, many prominent assassins were killed and not tethered or bound. As such there were less mentor spirits and even less children to teach. When Wyt was brought into the branch clan, they told him there was no mentor left tied to the clan, so he would have to search for his own as they tossed him in the room. Wyt meditated for 3 days until he saw in the astral plane, a man, a spirit clad in an orange armor with a glowing blue blade. The man slashed at a spirit tree as leaves began to fall the man sheathed his sword and the leaves broke apart and withered away almost as if they were slashed into dust. The man noticed Wyt's presence and flew towards him. Wyt a child who had lost everything thought his life was over as this man placed a blue sword towards his throat.

“Who are you boy?” asked the spirit, his sword began to pulse with a bluish glow, his armor seemed to expand, almost as if the man himself was flexing his muscles in preparation to attack.

“my name is Shiro, and I am looking for a mentor…”

the man speaks in an almost Japanese-British accent, “a mentor you say, a master, someone who can train you?! Ho ho! I like the sound of that!”

“I don’t mind being your mentor, but you must pass a test, one that my master imposed on me…You must first cut a single leaf from a tree, this one will do fine, use this knife.”

The boy called Shiro who will later be known as Wyt, paused for a moment and attempted to slash the leaves that fell from the tree. Every slash he made, a leaf would fly around, uncut. Shiro looked at the tree and the leaves on the ground and thought for a moment.

“hahahaha, this brings back memories of when I had to take this test, hah took me a whole week to figure out how to…” the man stared astonished at the boy as his words were cut short upon notice of the child completing the test.

Shiro took the knife and placed it on one of the leaves on the ground and made a cut on it. He looked up at the man in the orange armor and asked him this was the answer.

“yes…that is the answer to the test, your supposed to understand that like the way of the blade, forms and techniques are useful but however you get the end result is what is important. There is honor in battle, but in a true fight one where your life hangs on the balance, where your opponent needs to die, as long as your blade finds its way into your enemy then you will win. The sword techniques I will teach you are not to win fights, or beat an enemy, they are for killing, can you accept that?” spoke the man in orange armor, as he sheathed his bluish blade.

Shiro shook his head, in agreement. The man placed his hand on Shiro’s head and bonded himself to Shiro. “my name is Oron the amber knight, I will teach you how to foresee your enemies, and use your instincts to always make the best decision. Once you have mastered the basics of the sword, you will learn the ways of divination. With this combination you will never lose a fight as you will have the ability to kill and the ability to foresee your opponents moves.”

Shiro emerged from the well of beginnings 3 days later, and the clan officially accepted him as one of their own. It was this day that Shiro obtained his mentor spirit, and started his path to learning his sword techniques, as well as the day he started his assassin training. Oron the name of Shiro's master, or as Shiro calls him, “the elder” since Oron sounds like an old man.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-27-15/1332:55>
<ooc> nice post!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-29-15/1353:38>
<ooc: Sorry for the wait guys. Had turkey day stuff. />

Quickly Jiao smiles and forwards over the address to the two of them. She also sends a brief thanks to the Samurai who used her real name. At this point she is in so deep her name they could have probably found out anyway.

"Please meet me on the outside of the line next to the bouncer. I will have bright red hair and an awesome dress. Yall will be my party pushers just for the to seconds to get you inside so you don't have to wait. Oh and please conceal your toys. If a bouncer sees them or has reason to suspect you have weapons then it might be harder to explain."

True to her word Jiao had on her familiar Armante dress with the plunging neckline revealing her cannons she brings to very speech fight. Interestingly enough Jiao left Nancy (her crossbow) at home. With her she had her regular lipstick and laced lipstick (with Narcojet) and enough makeup to make a pig pass a charisma check. Carrying her clutch she looked at the long line of people.

Why don't they see how the game is played?

Zoning out for a moment Jiao smiled and thought about how close she was to helping out a tripped out youngster from their potential drug habit that could kill them.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-30-15/0100:17>
<ooc if you want to put your character in a position to hear more from Jan, or blow him off from his sob story, reply to the message 3 posts or so back.   This will be a brief interlude on your way to the club.   He probably won't come to the club, but then again, maybe an interested listener could persuade him, or at least offer a rain check.  ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-30-15/1044:53>
Standing in line outside Miankong in the press of bodies the smell of fried soy-chicken burgers still pervades the old store facade.
A street vendor walks the line hawking the newest asian aphrodisiac craze, vat-grown salamanders speared on little wooden sticks and bbq'd on a tiny hibachi strapped to his chest.
Flipping to astral it's apparent that about a 1/4 of the crowd in line is under the effects of one or another BAD. A few quick "how's it going tonight" conversations and you manage to visually sift and tag the Tempo user from the Red Orchid ones, marking them with AROs for your teammates to compare on your tac-net.
There's a LOT more Tempo users than Red Orchid users in this little unscientific street sample.
After only about 10 minutes Ping is spotted by the doorman who gives her a nod and waves her and her compatriots inside.

Stepping through the leather whip curtain the pounding base hits you like a tidal wave, washing over your and leaving your hearing mostly useless, but communication continues unimpeded through the use of AR and AROs. It seems everyone else in the club is doing the same thing, tagging potential partners with smiley-faces and queuing text invites to private rooms and booths.

Ping quickly accumulates 5 such requests in a few minutes.

Looking out over the seething mob of partiers it's pretty clear that about 25% of the crowd is blissed out on Tempo, judging from their aura's they are LOVING it.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <11-30-15/2136:59>
<ooc: didn't realize I could interact with that. Sorry!! I thought that was just your backstory. Tomorrow night/ Wednesday night I should have something up.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <12-04-15/2350:18>
Jan's coyote contact:  Connection 3, loyalty 2. 

While serving in the Kurdish militia near Istanbul fighting the bugs, Jan befriended Medya Hala, a human female of Kurdish descent.  She was a mechanic and driver in the logistics company and a fairly skilled rigger.  He lost touch with her for a while after leaving the unit, but later found her by chance in Berlin at a grocery store (of all places).  They found, after catching up over coffee, that they were in complimentary lines of work.  Jan's connections to the east and Medya's relationships in the south set them in the habit of helping each other from time to time.  Medya and her husband Joro Barzanji had a good set of routes into and out of the anarchist sector of Berlin for several years, but a run went bad one day- real bad.  As a result, Medya lost her husband and their well-equipped and heavily armored SUV.  After a few months of mourning, she has recently resumed work with a smaller and less well-equipped van.  As a result of his death, she is even more reluctant than the average coyote to take on passengers that she doesn't know well.  That attitude will help her live longer on the fringes of the anarchist zone of Berlin, but it's going to be hard for her to keep her head above water financially.  Medya has so far resisted being integrated with one or two regional criminal organizations but is seriously considering it as she searches for security in the absence of her husband. She currently works part-time in a body shop in the far southeast of Berlin and also does substantial volunteer work with orphans and refugees thru a local community center.  Like most Kurds in Germany, she has a love-hate relationship with its numerous Turks; there are cultural similarities and shared experiences, but also a history of political oppression.  She is 49 and childless and has long since lost contact with her few surviving cousins in Iraq and Turkey.  Her muscles have gotten soft but her reflexes are still sharp.  She accepts cash or easily-sold goods in payment.  She speaks fluent Turkish and Kurdish, decent German, and a little English.  She is remarkably short and has let her hair go white, which nicely accents her lovely dark complexion and jeweled nose ring.  She owns a machine pistol and a variety of sleep-gas-dispensing items which are installed in hidden compartments in her van, apartment, and tool kits. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <12-06-15/1142:47>
<ooc> nice contact post, added to your character sheet +1 karma! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <12-16-15/2119:15>
Jan's fixer contact- Connection 4, loyalty 3.  Chips:  You and the contact are even. 

Jens von Hauch (pronounced Yenss Fawn Hohh with a hard "h" sound at the end) was born with every advantage:  human, wealthy, from a well-connected and cultured family in the Rhein-Ruhr megaplex.  He could have gone to private universities and been a banker like his father, or a lawyer like his mother, or a doctor like his older sister.  Instead he became a disgrace.  He stole from his parents and pissed away the money on drugs and parties for his worthless friends.  Time after time one family friend or family member or another would bail him out of trouble:  getting a cop to not write a ticket, getting a store owner to not press charges for theft and vandalism, getting a poor father to not press rape charges on his daughter's attacker, even sometimes bribing a judge to award suspended sentences.  But one day Jens just went too far:  he murdered an orc girl after she said "no" even after taking the date-rape drug he slipped her.  Jens had used up every possible favor and second chance, and went to jail.

After three years (his father's last favor for him was to get the charge written up as manslaughter instead of murder), Jens emerged completely unrehabilitated and better connected than ever.   His new friends in the Russian mafia loved the idea of having a High-German speaking "von" on board as a mouthpiece to use with "respectable" clients.  Now working in the small walled anarchist sector of Berlin, Jens' intimate knowledge of how the 1% live and talk has been a huge asset for the mob.  Jens never manages to hang onto cash that he earns from setting up jobs and helping with cons and fronts, but he always has recreational drugs and cheap women at hand.  He does not work exclusively for the Russian mob (the "Vory v Zakone", "thieves of the code") and can be trusted to do three things and three things only.  First, look for his own advantage.  Two, to disgust right-thinking wageslaves with his every word and deed.  And three, to never betray his Johnsons or his runners.  Jens knows that his life will be short indeed if he breaks his word to the Vory, the megacorps, or his stable of runners. 

Jens is now 35 and shows no signs of slowing down.  He is addicted to several street drugs but seems able to keep his usage at a steady level somehow.  He's been cured of every STD known to man five times, has had three livers and two spleens replaced, has burned through twelve SINS, and almost certainly gotten away with another half dozen murders.  He's five foot eight, slender, sandy-blonde, blue-eyed, handsome, and dresses like Elvis or a banker depending on what the day is likely to bring.  He has no magic, or computer abilities, but he has a strong knowledge of pharmaceutical chemistry and various methods of fraud, extortion, cons, and plain old theft.  He is reasonably good with a machine pistol but has never bothered to learn hand-to-hand fighting, knife throwing, or anything involving sustained mental effort.  He only meets clients that he doesn't know in back rooms in noisy, flashy discos where he knows the security staff.  He oozes charm when he wants to, and has an incredible talent for picking up languages:  he speaks accent-free English, German, Polish, French, and Russian.  He is strongly attracted to troll and orc women, especially if they can be made totally dependent on him via drug addiction, fear of violent debt collectors, or other mental holds.   
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <12-19-15/1129:27>
<ooc> nice contact post +1 karma
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <12-19-15/2127:19>
"The last one", Jan thinks to himself, "did not have to die.  Was he stupid, brave or just unlucky?"

Reaching for more bullets to load into his clip, Jan suddenly notices a tiny spot of blood on the back of his right wrist.  "How the hell did that get there", he thinks.  "Well, there was enough blood spraying around, I guess it is no surprise."  He finds an embroidered cloth napkin, but instead decides to get it with toilet paper.  Returning to his task, he continues to muse and reflect.  He mutters to himself, alone in his still hotel room. 

"The run went pretty smoothly, all things considered.  Take the BTL factory out of commission, says Sacristan- no problem.  Make it look like the Red Dragon triad did it- seemed like it might have been hard, especially considering that we are already in the employ of the Red Dragon triad.  But the Red Dragons did in fact want it to look like they had done it.  So, lucky for us.  They told us exactly how to do that, showing us the exact character to write."  A pause.  "Oh, and how we wound up writing it."  Jan frowns as a bullet skitters out of his hand.  His hand was shaking with the force of the memory. With an effort of will, Jan places the damn Hoellenhund firmly out of his conscious thoughts.

As he continues to load the clip with the shiny APDS rounds, he walks through the steps once again.

"One.  Locate the target.  Easy."  Jimmy the Greek was easy to fool and follow to the factory to place the special order for 50 BTL copies of him working his ridiculously augmented schwantz.  Ping did a nice job convincing him to place the special order, thereby revealing the facility.

"Two.  Preliminary surveillance.  Ridiculously easy."  One warehouse, one door.  Some cheap cameras across the street and a leisurely day watching boring footage to learn the shift changes and estimate the number of guards.  Wyt's pet spirit confirmed what the cameras showed:  that something on the order of 20 people were inside, probably at least two-thirds of them hourly sweatshop employees with no loyalty or weapons.  Their estimates of the occupants had proved exactly right.  Except for- Jan forces it out of his mind again.

"Three.  Plan to isolate and weaken the target.  Ja."  Since there were no special guards or defenses expected, and since Deng had asked us to let him take posession of the BTL making equipment, the plans for a diversionary fire or explosion were abandoned.  A straight assault would do, with only the precaution of placing four area jammers on the roof.   The agile and stealthy Wyt handled that with no problem, attaching four devices that Deng conveniently provided on appropriate places on the roof.  "I could get used to this kind of help", Jan muses.  "Armor piercing bullets, gas grenades when we want them, explosives experts, jammers... we are pampered pet cats."

Back to business, no more thinking about- och- pets.  No pet dogs.  No.  Focus on the run.  What did we do right, what did we do wrong.  Another bullet leaps from the table to the other side of the richly appointed hotel room.  Jan curses and walks over to pick it up. 

"Four.  Separate and weaken the defenders."  That failed, Jan admits to himself.  Ping did a good helpless maiden impression.  Maybe a little over the top, but with paranoid triad members in the building, it was no real surprise that none of the guards took the bait.  On the ride back to the hotel, Wyt had pointed out that the guards were probably used to severe discipline from the Smoke Circle gang.  Not too different from the Vory v Zakone back home, probably- lose a finger for a mistake that costs the gang money.  If you're lucky, a finger.

"Five.   Attack with surprise and overwhelming force.  Ja, check."  It might have been smarter to have Cabbie in on the attack rather than driving the getaway car, though.  Jan makes a mental note to himself to see if Ping could drive in the future; she didn't contribute much to the evening's fight.  But, Jan remembers, she had been an asset against the Shedim.  Worth further thought, he says.  Suddenly uncomfortable at the mental images brought to mind by recalling the Shedim fight, Jan takes a deep breath and gets up to get a beer.  He returns to his chair and notices that the ammo tray is almost full and ready to be rotated into the clip.

"Five.  Where was I?"  Then, shouting,  "Scheisse!" .  His hands have spasmed as the huge, snarling dog comes crashing into his imagination again.  The tray flips over, and bullets fly across the room.  The beer goes tumbling, and Jan only regains his balance after leaping away from- nothing at all.  The dog.  The hell dog. Two meters tall, two hundred kilograms.  Two hundred fifty?  Surely it wasn't as big as a troll?  After a few seconds to catch his breath, Jan suddenly realizes that his eyes are clenched shut and his fists are over his eyes.  "It's dead.  We killed it.  It's dead."   Fucking Wyt.  Why did he have to make a puppet out of the dog head?  What an asshole.  At least he killed it fast.  "That could have been embarrassing", Jan thinks.  "The dog was dead right away and I did not retreat from it.  No."  Jan also remembers that Wyt had fled like a schueler in the fight with the Shedim.  "If he gives me more shit for that, I will remind him of his problem too."

Jan continues talking to himself as he gathers the bullets from all over the room and begins again to place bullets in the tray.  "Six, the optional step.  Allow the enemy to surrender."  That last damn guard didn't have to die.  The first two, sure.  Have to make an example, show that the threat is real.  Then, start over in another room, two more guards had to die right away.  No point in fighting fair. Wyt killed invisibly with tremendous swift blows of his sword, and Jan felt no remorse about shooting a guard in the back.  Overkill to use a full burst of six, but who cares?  Dead is dead, and a messy explosive death is not any more unkind than a clean, quiet one.

"Seven, check for remaining or approaching threats.  Eight, secure the objective."  Easy.  The civilian workers had scattered like sheep. Why, exactly, Ping felt like kissing some of them to sleep instead of just stunning them or letting them run into the night?  Jan's only guess after a moment's thought: The woman is hideously insecure about her attractiveness.  She has to show us all the time how she has sex power.   Still, generous, and good at talking to Sacristan for sure.    Remembering Ping's generosity, Jan glances at the beautiful suit she bought him today.  "I wonder if she feels like I owe her something?"  The smile is quickly replaced by another small frown.

But the last half of step eight had been sickening, even to a battle-hardened veteran runner.  "I'm pretty sure that that asshole Wyt was smiling as he carved the characters for the Red Dragon triad into the bodies."  Sick bastard. 

"Nine, get the hell out."  Cabbie again, reinflating the tire as Deng's cargo vans approached.  "The big round thing", he chuckles to himself.   Ping might have been over the top with that one, trying to pretend she didn't even know what a tyre was called.   

"Ten, review and reflect."   With a vicious snap, the bullets slide into the curved magazine of the AK 97.   "Let's see what everyone else thought about the mission."  Jan signals on the tacnet that he's ready for a beer in Ping's room if everyone else is.  "And after that", he things to himself, "it's time to plan how to find the source of the software."  Perhaps one or two of the guards there will be smarter, and not need to die.  Their choice, Jan thinks.  "Unless they have another fucking- don't think about it.  They won't.  No, they won't.  No more dogs."
 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <12-21-15/1051:17>
<ooc> nice run recap post +1 karma! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <01-22-16/0328:54>
http://imgur.com/UwMIigb
Male, 28, 6'10" 185lbs
Nigerian/Hopi
Black Hair
Chrome eyes

-0-Born: Xavier X

Son of a deceased military SINner who died in combat before he was born, and a shadowrunner from Los Angeles. His mother pulled the run of a lifetime on a vindictive AAA corp shortly after she helped Xavier disappear (after the accident), and has not been seen or heard from since. It's unclear whether she fell victim to retribution for the heist, or simply hasn't contacted her son in order to protect him. Rumor has it she and her team walked away with enough newyen to make just about anything happen, then why? These days he often seeks unknowable answers at the bottom of a Lagavulin bottle.


-0-Stage Name: Tarus

Tarus was driving before he could walk. His mother (a decker) fabricated a small wheeled drone when he was just 3 years old. By 5 he was powersliding around the yard, and by 15, he had a control rig and was dominating the LA street racing scene. His skills were enough to draw attention from an action trid producer who gave him his first shot as a stunt driver. By 25 he had done it all, and got to a point where he could jump into any aircraft or ground vehicle and make it do things that would blow audiences' minds. Yet, stunt men are not trid stars, and thus despite his transcendent skill and prolific catalog, he only had a small fan-base of aspiring riggers and gearheads before he disappeared.

 He did, however, manage to catch the attention of some of Hollywood's most beautiful leading ladies. While the lead actor was getting out of a safe static car after shooting inserts, and proceeding to remove his makeup, It was Taru who proceeded to manipulate the car in a mesmerizing fashion; not unlike a 2 ton hummingbird darting over a hyperbolically deadly urban landscape. When the director called the day a wrap, it became clear to everyone on set who the real star of any action trid is.

T was loving life, and living it to the fullest, often burning the candle at both ends. One evening, his need for speed and penchant for showing off in front of beautiful women would culminate in a fatal tragedy, changing his life forever:. He was on a date with a budding young starlet; hammered and distracted is no way to manually drive at 180km/hour, and the starlet--not T--paid the price.


-0-After the accident: T

With he help of his mother, and made possible only by the fact that he remained SINless, he was able to disappeared into the Shadows of Hong Kong. For the past 3 years, he has been living off of 1,000,000 Newyen he had saved before his fall from grace. He spends almost all of his time in the matrix, goofing around, researching, playing games. Anything to escape the gnawing feelings of remorse and his deep longing to see, or even just speak to his mother again.

Perhaps the second most fateful day in T's life happened just last week. His old best friend from LA, Rockstar Jack Chekkr stopped by for a visit on his world tour. Jack gave T an ultimatum:

 "Look man, I can't keep coming here if you are going to continue to wallow in your own fragging self pity. I'm willing to help you, but you have to help your damn self first". T looks up and turns his AR off, he's never seen Jack this angry at him. "I mean it man, I am going to have a guy I know set you up with a guy he knows to get you some damn work, and I want you to get back to being my old fragging friend Tarus again. I wont be coming here again if things dont change. We used to go out and slay the clubs any and every night of the week. Now you sit here plugged into the fragging Matrix all day wasting your life.  I'll set up a meeting for you, and if you get out of those drek stained sweatpants and follow through on this, give me a call next month, if not, well, it was nice knowing you... At least the old you."  he states, with a firm close of the door.

"Damn", says T.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <01-22-16/2215:59>
Jan is disturbed when he finally manages to speak privately to Ping.  "Listen, please.  I have a lot I say want.  I like not this new way- we go without plans out."  Ping blinks but brings Jan's labored English into meaningful focus with some effort.  "Remember you the boat?  We were just up to blow it going. Not to explore.  Then the software.  We go to investigate, suddenly we in break.  Not the same!  Rush to find progammer.  Again to look over and suddenly the insertion."  Seeing Ping's confusion return, he corrects himself.  "Extraction.  Our plans, they have no shapes.  They bleed over into thoughtless action.  We have our faces too many times shown, we have lucky been, this can not last.  It must itself change.  It must.  I say not that I leaving am.  But we must think more, move carefully."  He's been pacing and almost ranting, but he finally calms down when he feels like he's been listened to, and waits for Ping's response. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <01-22-16/2216:45>
Welcome, T!  Looking forward to the ride.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-24-16/1108:16>
+1 Karma Merz for your origin story.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <01-24-16/2048:03>
Welcome, T!  Looking forward to the ride.
::wink my chrome cybereye::

T's Rockstar Contact:
Connection 10 Loyalty 3
Jack Chekkr
Human, Male, 27

    Jack is a globe trotting front man for a band called St4nn, who plays to sold out audiences on a near nightly basis. When he isn't performing or making music, he is being wined and dined by rich and powerful fans, or spending time with enigmatic women.
    Jack and T have largely grown apart because of their geographical distance, and because of the ways in which T has changed since the accident. T has been in Hong Kong for a few years, and Jack is based in L.A. They see each other whenever Jack is touring through, but they find they have less in common now that T spends most of his time in the matrix. They both share a love of cars, partying, and spending money... and when T lost his car and will to party after the accident, they found they had much less to talk about. 
    Jack isn't interested in sitting around playing matrix games with a guy in stained sweatpants, and has vowed to write off T if he does not do something with his life. If T develops some good street cred, and starts earning money again, their relationship could be repaired to its former strength. Jack isn't expecting straight and narrow, he knows T too well, but he refuses to remain friends with a waste case.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-25-16/1313:53>
<ooc> nice post +1 karma!

send me your updated character build when you can
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <01-25-16/1645:42>
Metatype: Human

Sex: Female

Age: 27

Preferred Payment Method: Barter (loves stolen vehicles)

Location: Los Angeles

Position: Chop Shop Owner/Former Illegal Street Racer

Personal Life: Single

Type: Shadow Service


Backstory:


T knows serena from his days as a street racer. They have not kept in contact since the accident, but were very close beforehand, even as he moved into stunt driving and started hanging out with rockstars. She is curvy with short black hair and dark green eyes.

Serena's chop shop is a fully functional auto facility with a large troll mechanic named Pedel who takes care of the heavy lifting. She will take cred sticks as a last resort but prefers hot merchandise, which she will try to change ownership of and resell, or chop up for parts if she botches the hardware.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-26-16/1000:28>
<ooc> nice contact post +1 karma
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <02-07-16/0356:16>
After narrowly escaping the sewers with their lives, the team made its way to a nearby clothing store, and were forced into buying overpriced rags to cover their weapons. Olaf waited outside for any signs of suspicious activity, and took off running after a shady character, leaving Jiao, Jan, Sacristan, and Jorge perplexed. It turns out Olaf just had a gut feeling that chasing after the young man would be the quickest and easiest way to their destination without Jai leading the way. Jan followed suit while Jiao played it off with cunning, informing her employers that the team were just scouting ahead.

After a relatively uneventful arrival, the team were met by a drone who transmitted the voice of Hak, Sacristan's contact at the compound, and they were invited in. They began to converse in a quad between 4 linked 10 story buildings. Jorge trotted off to investigate the clarity and quality of the Tempo on site, just before gunshots and grenade blasts began to ring from neighboring streets. Reluctant to storm into a bloody battle on behalf of the Black Mums, the team stuck close to their employer Sacristan, and offered no aid beyond their original agreement to provide protection within her immediate proximity. The crew, and The Mums made quick work of a few crazed fraggers who broke through the barricades by employing a focused fire small unit tactic orchestrated by Jan.

After neutralizing that threat, the team retreated indoors and to the control room, following Hak. There they rejoined Jorge, and were formally introduced to T, a rigger/decker who had just begun working for the Black Mums that day. Out of nowhere, but to no one's surprise, three men burst through the wall, and proceeded to unleash a disproportionate amount of fire in Jan's direction. T cowered in fear, as he sent his drone running to avoid damage while Jan, Jiao, and Olaf took care of the baddies.

T, with no interest in losing a drone or his life over a $1000 gig that was supposed to be basic matrix security, fled to the roof with Sacristan and the team at the promise of double pay and an air evacuation. Refusing to jump back into a close quarters fight with Hak, a man he just met, T opted for self preservation. On the roof, they were confronted by a level 9 evil spirit gnawing on the corpse of a Black Mum mage. Just 15 meters away, but separated by a 6 meter gap was a Helicopter, their ride out of this drek. The spirit threw the mage corpse at the mini-gun mounted in the doorway of the chopper, which T saw as an opportunity. He gained access to the chopper via some smooth talking from Jiao and Jan. Olaf picked T up under his arm while T jumped into the helicopter. T, while firing the gatling gun at the spirit, gracefully and swiftly set the Hughes Stallion down next to the party, so as to avoid their crossing paths with the beast while traversing the entire circumference of the roof. Olaf, while carrying a human under his arm, managed to hold his own in melee with the beast, fending him off until the team could flee to the now accessible helicopter. T finished the spirit off with the minigun, regaining everyone's sanity.

As they ascended above the walled city, Sacristan informed the team their next stop would be New Tokyo,  with no time to pass go. Of course, the team didn't forget to collect their $200, rather, I should say 4000 nuyen
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-07-16/2227:42>
<ooc> + 1 karma for run recap
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-21-16/1416:36>
​As you clamber out of the Sikorsky Bell onto the executive landing apron of the Chep Lak airport Sacristan waves you towards a waiting Lear Jet,it's engines already spooling up to speed, bearing the markings of the AA corp Kond-Orchid,
 
Although she seems to have regained her composure on the short chopper ride out of Kowloon Jorge Rhys remains in a stunned silence as you climb the few steps into the plush mahogony and ultra-suede interior of the corporate Jet.
 
Sacrisan points in the general direction of the seating without saying a word, from the look on her face you suspect she is having a heated discussion in matrix-space with ghost-knows-who.
 
Settling into the utra-suede club seats the jet's door swings shut without outside help and a pleasant male voice with no discernible accent comes over the audio system: "please fasten your seat-belts, we've started our taxi run, wheels up in 2 minutes. Next stop Haneda Aerospaceport, Neo Tokyo, flight time 3 hours".
 
Jorge pops a pill of unknown function and smiles broadly as he offers them around to the group. He's fast asleep as you lift into the air.
 
Before you reach crusing altitude Tarus is routing multiple news stations' matrix feeds to the group's tac-net, all focussing on what has already been termed "The Kowloon Massacre".
 
The seat-belt sign dings off and Sacristan finally takes a seat, turning her attention to the team a deep scowl spreads across her face.
 
"Well that was a royal shit-show. Despite all the hard work you put in clearing the competition we've now lost any chance at cornering the market in Hong Kong, Henry is not pleased."

She glares at the group to drive her point home.

"As the pilot noted we're headed into Neo-Tokyo to salvage the rest of this crap-fest before the Yaks get antsy about all the attention. Word to the wise: Neo Tokyo is different from other places you may have run. Transmitting data dump to your tac-net now. You've got 3 hours to bone up before we land."

<you can now access the background info on the Yakuza and Neo-Tokyo via realmworks player edition>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <02-25-16/1126:59>
Upon arrival at the airport in HK, T transmits an order to the roto-drone to land on its drone rack in his custom shipping container. He calls out his Dragonfly and it zips over to his shoulder before he hops on the Jet. He logs into the container's PAN and turns all of his devices in the container to silent, and completely powers down the smart link on the sniper rifle.

T, as soon as he sets foot on the jet, arranges for the rental of an Armadillo with a flatbed attachment for a cargo container on his Fritz Arbuckle SIN, along with all necessary licenses to drive said vehicle in NT. He takes a look at another Kond-Orchid logo on the inside of the plane, and then glances over at Sacristan, looks back at the logo, then back at Sacristan. His eyes widen and his bottom lip scrunches up as if he has an idea. Once they are in the air, and as soon as it's clear she has finished her conversation, T brings up the issue of his container.

"Well, as much as I enjoy the prospect of getting out of this place, and continuing to work for you, I'll be operating at around 1/2 my potential without my home and my things." he says.

"Would you be able to pull some of these Kond-Orchid strings to get my air freight container to Neo Tokyo along with us? I'm fully equipped to bug out, but this was sudden, even for me. Everything suspicious is either powered down or running silent, but a legit AA-corp shipping manifest should quell any suspicion whatsoever"
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-25-16/1131:14>
Sacristan nods and goes silent for a moment as her eyes focus on something far away, a sure sign she's using her implanted comlink.

"Done, your air freight container will be picked up by the next Kond Orchid cargo flight into Neo-Tokyo, due to arrive 6 hours after we touch down. They only have 2 hours left to load freight so you'll need to transmit your container's Unique International Transport ID asap if it's going to make it onboard"

<ooc> Publicly available information on Kond-Orchid is now available in Realmworks. A matrix search might uncover stuff that is not commonly known about them ;-) <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <02-25-16/1239:29>
As sacristan is speaking the syllables "..nsport ID" she receives a data package from T containing the ID (AMA 08578 KE) the container's current location, as well as gross and net weight.

"They are free to throw some magnetic KO logos on there to help it blend in, whatever is standard practice really, this is the first I've shipped this thing more than a few kilometers since I bought it"

http://i.imgur.com/n8X1M9o.jpg
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-25-16/1649:38>
"Ok the data is entered in the manifest for cargo lading on the Kond-Orchid cargo jet 'Maven of the Air', arrival time 23.35 local time at Haneda Spaceport. Word to the wise, if you're transporting any firearms or restricted gear I'd leave it in the container on the international side of customs/ receiving. They inspect air-cargo entry very carefully and you're likely to get dinged trying to bring something illegal into the country. If you need access to the container while in the embargo area we can likely arrange that".

<ooc> tl:dr if you're bringing your rotodrone into Neo-Toky you should remove that sniper rifle and leave it in the container before attempting to bring the roto-drone through customs.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <02-29-16/1703:47>
"A team who doesn't trust me, with a face who isn't interested in money, what have I gotten myself into?"
T says aloud to himself as he lays his head on the pillow:
((inner monologue))
'We had 500,000 nuyen to bribe some anxious low level crooked cops with malleable minds, who we could have easily killed... And we gave them every last fragging cent. I don't know what the hell these people are up to, but I save their lives and they won't connect me to their fragging tac-net? And then they are too preoccupied to skim a bit of cream off the top? What is their angle if not money? And why bring up their old driver to the boss, almost like I was a problem instead of a welcome addition...

Drek, if they don't trust me, I don't trust them. I certainly don't need a team who gives away profit and doesn't respect the fact that I saved their lives in Kowloon enough to open communications with me.

T repeats it to himself in his head, "I don't trust them"

T Packs his bags, leaves the condo, and checks into a coffin at The Cube under his Fritz Arbuckle SIN, where he lays on his back pouring over the matrix for information on his new "teammates". He blocks all calls or texts from Jan and Ping, but sets a priority alert for any further instruction from Sacristan.

 ((<OOC> Will make those matrix perception rolls next time, but my goal is to find the host where Jan and Ping's data is stored, hack it, and find out everything I can about them, what they have done in their past, who they work for, etc. I'll also do less invasive public matrix searches on Wyt and Olaf, but I won't be hacking any hosts to find out more, as their actions have not raised red flags in the same way that Ping and Jan have. Adz, if you are interested in doing it solo on http://roll20.net, I don't think it would take very long, but I'm also happy to wait and do it in front of the group</OOC>))

When the team returns to the condo, they do not see T or his bag...



Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <03-01-16/2336:11>
On the ride back from the run, Jan is his usual grim self.  "We need more information sources.   We have not more Deng us to help.  Sacristan here no help has, she has only product to sell.  For my part, I am in the bars a Vory v Zakone contact to make seek. To seeking?  Ping, I see that you with the cartel contacts to make to seeking have.   In the long part that can us help, maybe very gross.  But we need to the police know, the rival gangs know, even our allies the Yakuza know.  When guns we have not, information ist power."   He pauses to hear dissent or disagreement.  "Two valuable allies we have gained.  The orc fights.  The human drives and might help us with ell-int and sick-int."  (Someone makes inquiring noises.)  Electronish intelligence and sicknals intelligence.  But was he watching for police radio?  Maybe they have radio not used.  But do we know?  T, no insult intended, but perhaps that you at this new are, showing is.  And us too, we you should tolden have.  Our bad, so sorry.  And T, that a good pickup was, very smooth, thank you.  Two tough spots now, time for me you a beer to buy.  But you too must more information sources find!  We cannot again like that surprised becoming.  Who else ideas has for how we intelligence sources gather can?"  Jan sits back to listen. 

On  a separate note, when the rest of the team describes and recounts the week's events (learning the ropes in NT, recruiting the Oni, meeting and paying off the corrupt cops, running like hell from the SWAT team ambush), Jan is quietly complimentary of everyone's performance, even begrudgingly complimenting that irresponsible child Wyt on smart thinking in disarming the cop rather than skewering her.  But perhaps his small compliments don't register on T very well; as a newb to the group, T might not realize that Jan criticizes ten times for every compliment he awards.  Jan also buys Olaf a troll-sized beer for putting up with Ping's over-the-top efforts to ingratiate herself with the racist corrupt NT cops by abusing and literally spitting on the troll during the drug loading operation. 

Finally, Jan still tries to cash in on his footage of the corrupt cops and the SWAT team bust, delivering the footage to his Vory contacts in hopes that they might find some value in the information.  Perhaps one of the corrupt cops can be sprung on a technicality and remain an asset for the Vory.  Jan also offers footage to Deng in case there is any interest among the Red Dragon triad. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <03-02-16/0040:38>
((<OOC>T was incredibly disappointed to see the .5mil leave our hands so easily, he questions Ping and Jan's motives, as they stack upon his earlier experience of their secrecy. Perhaps this is my OOC knowledge coming into play, but I think it would be interesting if T rolled well enough to find out dirt on Jan and Ping, and use it as a means of leverage, whether that be them bonding in secrecy and bringing him in on the Triad, or just good old fashioned blackmail. If he can't find anything out, he will assume you guys are on the up and up, and are just guarded, but for now, he is interpreting, and perhaps even misinterpreting things in an attempt to thicken the plot. He sees you fork over that kind of money while excluding him from conversation and he is absolutely assuming the worst. Were they in communication with the cops on the roof? Why hand over all the money, was it a sting? Why did they use non-violent methods against them when they descended with guns? Why were none of the team shot at? Am I (T) being used as some kind of pawn? ;-)</OOC>))
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-05-16/1220:42>
<ooc> Most excellent IC post my man, +1 karma! (add it in your journal as "bonus RP karma"). We'll do it via buying hits. You're pool for Matrix Search appears to be 13, so you can buy 3 hits. See below for results! + don't forget your actually mid-run with a cargo van full of dope headed to the Black Shogun AR bar to sell it to the Bratsva so this is a *bit* out of sequence. <ooc>

Your Matrix Search turns up precious little about Jiao & Jan, of course it would help if you had some real info on them like their actual given names or national SIN (if they even have one), hacking their comlinks or tac-net might get you some useful pointer information. However a few strange things do catch your eye in the currents of the Hong Kong underworld. It would seem that someone has been working *really* hard to wipe all references to a team of gwailo runners that started to make their presence known in the Hong Kong underworld over the past few months. It's clear that whoever they are working for either has a very talented matrix operation working to expunge all references to them, in fact it's pretty uncanny as some of the data points (camera feeds linked to by other matrix posters) are just gone in a way that should not be possible. You sense the fingerprints of a technomancer at work.

While the team has been out shopping, running various errands and immersing themselves in the urban sprawl that is Neo-Tokyo Tarus goes dark for 48 hours. Last he mentioned he was heading out to the spaceport to pick up his drone and walk it through border control, but that was a while ago. Sacristan seem unperturbed by his short absence so you presume he's in contact with her, although Tog (posing as Ganymede) seems to take his absence more seriously and after discussing it with Sacristan takes the time to track him down to his bolt-hole.

<ooc> Tarus your com dings and Tog ne' Ganymede texts you with a curt message <ooc>

"Come in #9 your time is up, all riders please exit to your right"

<ooc> up to you if you reply but you know IC that Tog/ Ganymeded is acting as the team's liaison / lead with Sacristan <ooc>


"A team who doesn't trust me, with a face who isn't interested in money, what have I gotten myself into?"
T says aloud to himself as he lays his head on the pillow:
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-05-16/1224:50>
<ooc> you're still mid-run so will have to wait a bit to follow up on the below. +1 karma for run recap!

On the ride back from the run, Jan is his usual grim self.  "We need more information sources.   We have not more Deng us to help.  Sacristan here no help has, she has only product to sell.  For my part, I am in the bars a Vory v Zakone contact to make seek. To seeking?  Ping, I see that you with the cartel contacts to make to seeking have.   In the long part that can us help, maybe very gross.  But we need to the police know, the rival gangs know, even our allies the Yakuza know.  When guns we have not, information ist power."   He pauses to hear dissent or disagreement.  "Two valuable allies we have gained.  The orc fights.  The human drives and might help us with ell-int and sick-int."  (Someone makes inquiring noises.)  Electronish intelligence and sicknals intelligence.  But was he watching for police radio?  Maybe they have radio not used.  But do we know?  T, no insult intended, but perhaps that you at this new are, showing is.  And us too, we you should tolden have.  Our bad, so sorry.  And T, that a good pickup was, very smooth, thank you.  Two tough spots now, time for me you a beer to buy.  But you too must more information sources find!  We cannot again like that surprised becoming.  Who else ideas has for how we intelligence sources gather can?"  Jan sits back to listen. 

On  a separate note, when the rest of the team describes and recounts the week's events (learning the ropes in NT, recruiting the Oni, meeting and paying off the corrupt cops, running like hell from the SWAT team ambush), Jan is quietly complimentary of everyone's performance, even begrudgingly complimenting that irresponsible child Wyt on smart thinking in disarming the cop rather than skewering her.  But perhaps his small compliments don't register on T very well; as a newb to the group, T might not realize that Jan criticizes ten times for every compliment he awards.  Jan also buys Olaf a troll-sized beer for putting up with Ping's over-the-top efforts to ingratiate herself with the racist corrupt NT cops by abusing and literally spitting on the troll during the drug loading operation. 

Finally, Jan still tries to cash in on his footage of the corrupt cops and the SWAT team bust, delivering the footage to his Vory contacts in hopes that they might find some value in the information.  Perhaps one of the corrupt cops can be sprung on a technicality and remain an asset for the Vory.  Jan also offers footage to Deng in case there is any interest among the Red Dragon triad.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-05-16/1227:05>
<ooc> all good reasons to stoke your IC paranoia! <ooc>

((<OOC>T was incredibly disappointed to see the .5mil leave our hands so easily, he questions Ping and Jan's motives, as they stack upon his earlier experience of their secrecy. Perhaps this is my OOC knowledge coming into play, but I think it would be interesting if T rolled well enough to find out dirt on Jan and Ping, and use it as a means of leverage, whether that be them bonding in secrecy and bringing him in on the Triad, or just good old fashioned blackmail. If he can't find anything out, he will assume you guys are on the up and up, and are just guarded, but for now, he is interpreting, and perhaps even misinterpreting things in an attempt to thicken the plot. He sees you fork over that kind of money while excluding him from conversation and he is absolutely assuming the worst. Were they in communication with the cops on the roof? Why hand over all the money, was it a sting? Why did they use non-violent methods against them when they descended with guns? Why were none of the team shot at? Am I (T) being used as some kind of pawn? ;-)</OOC>))
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <03-08-16/0225:29>
<that is true, forgetting we didn't fully wrap up/ actually get in the clear last time, I had just assumed we had gotten away as we left initiative and the ride home was a hand wave. T can buy 4 hits for AR remote control driving with -2 to any threshold,, so theoretically he could have stormed off to the cube while still piloting the van, however you want to rule it tho is cool with me... I love what he found, just enough to raise more suspicion, but not enough to prove drek. I would totally be willing to make any driving tests during the storming off period in AR, so that it keeps with the continuity>
<ooc> you're still mid-run so will have to wait a bit to follow up on the below. +1 karma for run recap

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-08-16/1026:32>
<ooc> actually you're heading to the Shogun AR bar to sell the Temop to the Bratva. Uncle Hiro wants a minimum of $25k per kilo but if you are able to negotiate more than $40k per kilo the team gets to keep 10% of the overage ;-)
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <03-14-16/0103:39>
"Shit. Plan C time again," curses Jan as he runs for the truck.  And then curses again, since he accidentally got in the driver's side, thinking it was the passenger.  Nikushumi pauses and begins to speak, but Jan interjects "I'm moving, I'm moving, get in! Get this fragging thing leaving, go time!"  Nikushimi clearly agrees as he hastily straps in, but of course it's T who gets the truck in gear.

After fastening his seat belt and making sure the pursuit plan is engaged and understood by the whole team, Jan begins broadcasting both via Tacnet and commlink (for those who are not on tacnet).  "Wyt, Olaf, if you with us can up catch, now would be a good fragging time!  How long can it take to teach a dead man swim bathing!?" He pauses to breathe, and tries to think where to start.

**************

It was a hell of a night- Pulling away from the SWAT raid, there was no pursuit.  None.  Who could explain that?  Watching the haughty elf gag thru a soydog from the Stuffer Shack was funny, but not funny enough to break through Jan's paranoia and suspicion.  Why was there no pursuit?  Did the police literally not care that a half ton of drugs was getting away?

Meeting the Russians at the AR bar started off well enough, but sure enough that went to hell in a handbasket too.  After sharing a bottle of vodka around and dropping a few names, Igor and his muscle seemed remarkably friendly.  Of course, the elf pressing her assets (both dorsal and ventral) all over Igor probably helped.  Igor even offered to throw in a couple of not-too-rusty AK 97's as a goodwill gesture in the deal.  And then, of course, the cops showed up.  Again.  In numbers.  Luckily, the Russians were smart enough not to start shooting, and the cops didn't even hold it against Jan that he tried to go invis and hide under a parked car.  And that was the wierdest part, of course.  The most racist and xenophobic cops in the world, finding foreign meta runners with drugs, guns, and money- who would expect to walk out of that with all their teeth?  And walk out was exactly what they let the runners do.  They practically gave them hot cocoa on the way out of the paddy wagon.  What the frag was going on?  The team pocketed a sweet commission on the sale, even after the big batch of drugs tested far less pure than the "free sample".  (It's probably lucky that Jan has not had time to think through why there was such a difference.  Or why the packaging on the big batch had no holes in it at delivery time, after T's drone presumably dipped its shiny mechanical beak into the shrink wrapped goodies.) 

Jan's paranoia and caution went over the top.  Clearly Ping was testy with him for suggesting that the team was not going to be able to be scalpel precise or ninja stealthy in NT, or that Sacristan should be warned not to expect as much here as in HK.  No doubt Jan is in for another scolding about the sass he gave Sacristan while they took the next job- to assassinate the leader of the Capsule gang, Takendo Sato.  Jan's pleas for 2 or 3 days were on deaf ears, at least according to Ping.  With the stubbornness of a dwarf, Jan is prepared to debate yet again that her response was ambiguous, if Ping gives him half a chance to object again.  But the plan went ahead- to sneak Ping into a quickie with Sato, then take advantage of the privacy to kill him and slip away. 

The drek hit the fan sooner than anyone expected when Ping's highborn instincts proved a mismatch for the biker bar where they found Sato.  She had to resort to magic to get a jilted jagoff to leave her alone within a minute of entry.  And her initial hope that Sato would fall into her lap (so to speak) were dashed just as quickly when Sato negotiated Ping's price and then fobbed her off on a subordinate.  Jimmy's willpower and libido were taffy in Ping's hands as she spelled him into asking Sato for a threesome, but her spell was not enough to overcome Sato's urgent need to... to what?  Jan's musings end abruptly as his memory returns him to the present moment, chasing Sato and his go-gang buddies to parts unknown.

*************

"Listen, I had a thought while Ping in that bar was.  Some three thoughts alzo.  First, we really should have talked to Uncle Hiro.  And to Deng.  When we so quickly a new mission accept, naturally forget we things.   Ping, can you raise Deng and give him a quick update?  Is this a good time?"  Jan continues without pausing.  "Next, I think it can be that we set up are.  The police let us go twice, but they did our pictures release.  I think that it a warning is.  We need a low profile keep.  One time more we go forward without enough intel!  And with our strength divided, and the enemy together!  This is a recipe for catastroff.  I cannot believe that you me out of getting the weapon cache talked have.  Unbeliveably!  Scheisse, drek, dermo, merde! Kurva!"  You've never heard Jan resort to polish swear words before; he must have had extra soykaf on the way to the bar.  Or maybe the decorations on his sewer worker's uniform are a little too authentic, making his vocabulary match its ripe smell.  Anyway.  If you permission give, I want with Gangrel to speak.  Find out if the Capsules friends or enemies of theirs are, and if enemies, learn more.  Fast.  Time for stealth is over.  We have told that it ok to loud beben!  I want no more surprises!"

For almost the first time, he pauses long enough for someone to get a word in.  Clearly he's worked up into a lather.  Those that know Jan might not be too put off by his rant, and won't worry about whether he will stay with the group no matter how nasty the drek gets.  But the newer team members might not realize that this  kind of fuming and bitching is not too unusual for Jan.
 

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-14-16/1059:28>
<ooc> nice post +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Merz on <04-01-16/1303:13>
While the rest of the team focuses on their respective legwork, T decides it is a good time to start checking out the sites and scenes in Neo-Tokyo.

He stops by a local corner store and picks up a pint of Japanese whiskey and a bottle of expensive non-soy ginger ale. He chugs 5/6 of the ginger ale and wipes his lips with an "ahhh" provoked by the burn of the ginger.

Pouring the pint into the bottle of ginger ale fills it perfectly to the top, almost as if he knew exactly how much of the liter to drink before pouring the pint in. He smiles, satisfied with this result, and tosses the empty whiskey bottle in a nearby bin.

He pings an automated taxi on his deck, and it pulls up beside him in under a minute." Kanda", he says to no one, "in Takonashi", and takes a swill of his cocktail, leans back, and enters an online Paigow tournament he registered for earlier in the day.

The early rounds are a grind, just don't bust your nut, and try to stack up with as many sure fire plays as possible. There are plenty of people throwing chips around early, and if you can bait them in, you are looking at a big advantage when the tournament moves into the money.

He steps out of the taxi, takes down the last bit of his drink, tosses the empty bottle in a bin, and walks toward the door of the restaurant. He grasps at air for a second as he reaches for the door handle, and, not taking the time away from the game to read PUSH in Japanese, he gives the door a firm pull. Unphased and clearly distracted, he moves into the restaurant, and only snaps out of his focus on Paigow as the host asks him "Table for 1" in English. "Yes please, very excited to be here" he replies in Japanese, trying to save face after realizing his etiquette is giving him away like a beacon.

He sits down at the table, orders a glass of scotch, and takes turns glancing back between the Paigow tournament and the menu.

When the waiter comes back with his scotch, he orders a placenta sampler plate, Elf, Ork, and what appears to be a delicacy, awakened shark placenta. Just 1 spoonful of which will cost him ¥1000, but what the hell, he is trying to resurrect the old Tarus, and he knows, and says internally, 'this is something the old me would have done'.

Thoroughly enjoying the meal, he finishes, orders another drink, an Armagnac this time, and the players in the Paigow tournament begin to fall out. As he notices the tournament getting near the money, he requests the check and pings a cab to take him back to the condo. He also pings his Segway to meet him in the garage upon arrival.

When the car arrives, he is fully immersed in Paigow, and the automated vehicle has to ding thrice before he realizes it has come to a stop at his destination. He steps out, incredibly distracted, hops onto the Segway, and straps himself in.

At this point, several of the players at the final 2 tables are in full VR, and as soon as he gets onto his self stabilizing transportation, he will do the same.

The night draws on, and the final two tables become 1. T is short stacked, but he is DEFINITELY in the money.

(I do not know Paigow at all, otherwise I would describe the final few hands here)

T ends up in 4th place and takes down a ¥15,000 prize for his trouble. He jacks out of VR, and burps up a little placenta/Armagnac flavor. He swears it tastes even better now that he knows he didn't pay for it with the last cred to his name.





Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <04-01-16/1328:54>
<ooc> excellent post +1karma! <ooc>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <04-02-16/1248:00>
Standing over the now unconscious Jimmy, Jiao leaned up against a rather filthy wall, uncharacteristically. Apparently some kind of water spell malfunctioned as tears started flowing down her cheeks....It always works dammit! She screamed inside of her head. Sex always worked back in Hong Kong and mainland China but Neo Tokyo played under a different set of rules. Everyone wins and enjoys getting fucked...That's supposed to be the agenda! Looking down at her volumptious assets in her tshirt she gave them a quick adjustment trying to understand what went wrong. Casually she found nothing and ran her hands over her ears and remembered that she was hiding her heritage. Her elven heritage.

If someone from the path of the wheel saw me now... She shivered at the thought of that and hoped and preyed no one from her magical clan of sorts would know about this failure. Thankfully the rest of the group hid back. Hurrying back to her motorcycle she realized she probably had a long drive at top speed to burn rubber, at least she could take solace in taking her self disappointment on rubber.

Even the new Oni caught on that she was unsure of her original face which brought her painstaking memories back, during the stereotypical shopping and recon work. I can't even hide my goddamn secrets from an orc...a fuckin' orc. Will I ever get back to the bar I so loved? Will I ever raise the money? Or am I continuing to spend it on useless baubles of fighting? Is that my new home?

Finally having gotten back to her motorcycle, she took her overclosed helmet out of it and slapped it on. She'd have to use the age old excuse for allergies when she finally caught up with the bad guy...or who knows maybe never even take it off. Never the less she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched much to her dread.

<ooc: the mentor spirit discussed before />

Pushing onward, Jiao continued driving. She just kept driving but stuck in this vicious goddamn loop. The ONLY reason we are in this situation is because I FAILED...No one else ever FAILS... She reflected back on how they did entry into the bar and the battered clothes she has on now. She feels like a common whore. Another shiver went down her body. Hell I've been trying to hide my magic for so damn long maybe to the world I am a common whore.

No more reflection....No more stalling. It is time to go. Time to save the friends she failed. And with that she resumed her hectic driving down the freeway.

<ooc: I thought of some cool ways the mentor spirit may be able to react but want to wait til I'm in person to discuss it. />
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <05-23-16/2105:01>
(translated from German by Wusystems Multitalk 3.0- your smart value leader for realtime and written translation!)


Dear Rudi,

What a month it has been.  I can’t believe how much has happened in that time.  I barely got out of Berlin safely, but just as Jens foresaw, it was much easier to fly from Bulgaria than from anywhere in Germany or Austria.  No security at all.  I wrapped Sylvi in a foil blanket and checked her into luggage.  Hong Kong was 6 hours away only.

His contact got me work immediately, as I previously wrote to you.  The team took a short time to settle about, but we are one big happy family.  Happier than ours, which does not say much, but you know what Dostoyevsky said.  Speaking of which, I must remember to see if Frau Reid is still alive and teaching, the most amazing teacher. 

We sometimes add and lose a member, but the stable core seems to be Olaf, the Dresdner troll, Wyt, the Nippon swordsman, and Jiao, the racist face.  Oh?  Racist?  Yes, it’s good old times again, she would fit in wonderfully in Paderborn.  Never mind, I can handle it.  Our upbringing made us both strong to this kind of talk.  I’m glad to get out of Japan, of course, they are all like that and not just the elves. 

But I get ahead of my history.   In Hong Kong we quickly found ourselves with two paymasters- the first to place us in the employ of the second, as a false servant.  But we have actually served them both so well!  There has been too much excitement, trouble follow us constantly.  But always we overcome, usually without even a scratch on the jacket.  The swordsman and the troll are amazing in a fight, even better than you in close quarters.  Today or ever.  We have faced spirits, drug lords, Yakuza, Shedim (yes!), goddamn Helldogs, triads, and even more spirits.  The mightiest spirits I have ever seen, I am sure by a factor of one or two on the Heitzlmann scale.  One time we only got away because it didn’t want to chase it (never offer me tea again), and one time only because our rigger found a nearby Gau-kanone (untranslatable-  from context, probably some kind of gun-  upgrade to Wusystems Multitalk 4.0 for enhanced idiomatic and technical vocabulary, only 50 nuyen a month for the first three months- click here!) to cut a wildbeastsummon in half.  Oh, did I mention the rigger?  We have come halfway across the world the wrong direction, to his home, in Los Angeles.  He seems a good sort, as good as Heidi was with rigging and almost as good as you with hacking. 

I won’t tell you all the details, but we have steadily working.  We have gained the trust of our employers, at three levels.  The gang who thinks we are working only for them, based in the Americas with worldwide connections.  The gang who hired us to work for both gangs and report on the other, and the boss outside that gang. Who, I fear to say, may be over three thousand years old.  No more will I say about that, it is only speculation and rumor.  We have not, god be thanked, dealt with that employer first hand.  We never make a deal with that kind of employer, no matter the pay. 

The latest operation was almost typical from what we have encountered recently.  First, the boss (the one that thinks they are the only boss) says “we have to recover this material from local police corporation, and by the way, we have no idea how the bullen (from context, this refers to police, not cows or bulls- Upgrade to Wu T RESET COMMAND RECIEVED, SKIPPING) found this shipment, we don’t care, go get it anyway.  The rigger had a contact here in Los Angeles and we  quickly through him found a local with enough knowledge to get us close.  Even got us in the garage.  I’ve been practicing my invisibility spell, I got the swordman and the local concact invisible from cameras and guards, we get the package with almost no trouble, although one guard decides to interrupt his nap to see why the garage door opens and closes itself twice, ha!  And then it goes kiwi.  It always goes kiwi.  Or maybe I just never wite about the boring ones. 

I know you, Rudi, you don’t want to miss any details.  But I need to sleep, so I will only tell you the high points.  Remeber the tea remark?  Servant of demon in Hong Kong, who seemed once to be loyal and innocent local child guide for tips, gave us bad tea in Hong Kong, closest to death our face has ever been.  Urchin was servant of major spirit.  Seriously major.  Time to bend the shoes!   Only foe we have left standing in a while.  So, in Hong Kong, two weeks ago, we have in Japan since then, last we saw him. So, why is this child slinking around this exact police station at four in the morning?  Time to leave, quietly, I tell the team.  Quickly too, but don’t run.

At that time two orcs and something I never figure out what attack the troll waiting in getaway car.  Troll eats gunfire including De-U round (Yes!) and smiles, asking for more.  But some invisible thing- could not ever see on tacnet- paralyzes him.  Knowing he has fireproof armor, wurst grilling time and orcs begin to run.  Did I mention no cover and two assholes strafing us with machine guns from the side the whole time?  I have luckliy only a new stain in my pants, not in chest area of my jacket, or helmet.   Fireballs left and right, they don’t back off until the swords man cuts off one of the arms of their leader.  Leaving THREE.  Oh, have I got your attention now?  See attached pictures.  She says we killed her sister and will have revenge.  Funny, don’t remember seeing any other dry land octopuses lately. Like I say, we remove one of the extra arms, she goes down, and her playmates have had enough.  The little treacherous squirt from Hong Kong now has his brains decorating the gutter.  Too bad, maybe would have liked to ask him how he finds us.  Some day I will tell you the funniest part of this whole story, but I really have to go. 

Tomorrow we play defense at big hotel for “honest businessmen” who do business with stealth planes and submarines.  Just like good old days, eh?  Thank god no Mafia or dogs, otherwise it might ruin my mood. 

Rudi, I know you needed that last chunk of money I sent.  I hope you didn’t share any with Mom, and don’t tell me if you did.  I would rather imagine her begging for her wine than staying home with it.  Closest to honest work she’s done in ten years if she is on the street.  Never mind.  I will send more soon.  Some day, you will get to Africa. Soon I may be able to return to Berlin and try again to make it happen for you.   but for now the money is too good, and the word is that Stephan and Fritzi haven’t stopped looking for me yet.  Tell me if you hear different.

Stay low, dear brother, stay quiet, and above all, stay safe.  I will write more details when I have time.  But for now, here is a picture with me, troll and swordsman I have mentioned, and an Oni we briefly made friends with in Neo Tokyo.  Best noodles I ever had, except for yours of course!

Your loving brother,

Karl (but if I call you this week, call me Jan.) 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <05-28-16/1130:46>
<ooc> excellent post! +1 karma added to your sheet.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-06-16/1808:19>
The escape pod dropped away from the 25th  floor, the sounds of gun-fire quickly dropping off as it hit terminal velocity.

Tog’s hands moved quickly to reload his pistol as his mind raced through the next steps needed to get the team to safety.

 Assemble in the private parking section and get mobile was the most obvious answer. Unless of course the strike group had another squad waiting for them, given how thoroughly they had taken apart his team’s extensive preparations it’s likely they would have that base covered too.

Tog took a deep breath to steady himself and crab-climbed his way up to the roof of the drop pod, making his hands, feet and knees magically “stick”, holding him above the top of the door.

Wyt had been the first to exit with the principle…

“Any action down there buddy?”

He waited for a response as the drop pod continued it’s free-fall towards ground level.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-08-16/1053:47>
<ooc> some post-session info for you to hang some RP on <ooc>

Wedged in the cramped drop-pod with the principle propped against the wall with a knee and shoulder bracing her in a upright position Wyt scanned the team's tac-net, looking for a camera feed that would give him some intel on what his summoned spirit was up to on the 25th floor. Nothing. Reviewing the various camera feeds it was clear that the entire team was either already in motion towards the underground parking structure or was about to be. Judging by the team positioning dots it looked like Olof would be the first to arrive followed by Bloodhound, himself, Jan & Jiao, then Tog with Tarus bringing up the rear.

Pulling his attention away from the tac-net he took stock of the principle's condition.  She had a bad gash across the top of her scalp that was still bleeding profusely, should he dress that wound now or wait until they arrived in the underground parking structure? It had taken all of what, 15 seconds, to hustle her out of the hail of bullets and into the drop-pod, she couldn't have lost that much blood in such a short time. As he contemplated the idea of applying first-aid her eyes fluttered open and broad grimace quickly spread over her face.

Wyt was stunned, she was knocked cold just a few seconds ago, so much dead weight.

"Who are you?" she said rather pointedly as her suddenly quick hands grabbed his wrists in a vice-like grip of uncanny strength.

"Well, answer me or I will rip your arms from their sockets and watch your life-blood pour out like the falls of Yumbilla."

Just then Wyt's tac-net pinged with a message from Tog "Any action down there buddy?"
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <06-21-16/1154:44>
Dropping down the chute with Tog, Jan's mind whirls.  How did the commandos know to come straight for the one-third of the building that was occupied?  Who was the mole- was it the spider?  One of the attendees?  Even, perhaps, Sacristan?  And, ultimately, how could they still accomplish the great goal- finding the source and nature of Tempo?  How were the last two months of activity related?  Why were there shedim in the South Philippine Sea?  Why were the Aztlaners so brazen about placing their operatives in Pueblo territory?  Why were the demons of the Kowloon Walled City still pursuing us?  What was going to happen to that four-armed woman's hand in the freezer upstairs?  Where had she vanished to? 

And, back to the most important questions:  Were there going to be any foes in the basement?  Would they gain enough time to get away from the pursuing commandos?  How long until High Threat teams responded?  Would it be smarter to keep the assault rifles or ditch them? 

(Edit 6/25:  Jan is in the elevator with Jiao, not Tog.)
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <06-24-16/0148:40>
(Hidden datafile found in one William Viginere)

<File located: LastWill.xhtml>
<Unencryption running>
<Error: Access Denied>
<Error: Syntax Error>
<Program BCypher.Alias running>
<Shutdown: Access Denied>
<Decryption Complete>
<Display available data? Y/N/A>

  Ahoihoi chum. Curiosity killed the cat, you know the phrase? Know the rest? No? Then carry on.

  You got this, which means you're probably the slot that got me. How much did they tell you? You won't answer that. If you got this I'm dead after all. So you opened this up to find out more. You're next on their list now. I don't know who you are but you might as well know a bit of who I am.

  When I was young, I used to be pretty good with tech. Both my folks spent all their time slaving away so I was raised by the stuff, literally. Still recall some of those first e-toys and all the fun we had. Once my folks found out though, that stopped pretty quick. Worried I'd end up getting taken into some lab and prodded until I could only drool and hope for death. At least that's what I figure, they never talked about it to me. Keep your head down, do as you're told, bright future ahead. Suppose it's true if you never ask what's behind the light.

  Know what's good about being raised by machines? You can learn all kinds of things about them. All kinds of things. Not talking about servos and gyroscopes and that, that's just mechanics. You learn well and you can figure out their why. And you know chummer? They're just like people. They do what they're programmed to do, just like you did.

  If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a smart-ass. You probably already shot me once just for spite from something I said or did to ya. No hard feelings. Pranks and puzzles were always my thing. Got a few still primed in fact, but that's later.

<Access Denied: Unable to close file, file in use elsewhere>

  Touchy touchy.

  I was Ivy League, you know? Physical too, not just some 'trix course. So sit back down and respect your elders. There's a good kid. Anyways, where was I? Oh yea. Literature and Criminology. That means I know how folks like you, like us, think, and studied historic examples both real and fictional. Don't argue, you killed me. Orders are only motive. Besides I've been watching how things work since before Big D was a citizen. I lived through SURGE, through the LA quakes, and Crash 2.0 and you opened this file so deal with it.

  After graduation I ended up working for... Well, you know. Bet they didn't tell you I had your job, neh? Analyst first though, admittedly. But got sent into the field undercover after some time, was pretty good at it too. False names, data gathering, profiling... Sleeper agents could've looked up to me on some cases. Because I know people. Just like software, we end up getting coded by our experiences, programmed in how we act, what we do, and why. The only surprise is hidden code. We all got that too, things we didn't know we knew or ways we'd react until the program hits an error. But those can be adjusted for, by the right programmer.

  Sure you can tell, things took a turn though. No big sob story. I got close enough to that bright future to see what was holding the light, and I quit. That's all you need to know. They don't like their property walking away, and I'm sure you got a report on all the chrome that naturally had to come with. It's where you found... this. And you just had to peek, neh? Thanks.

  See, here's the thing. Bet you saw the file, said to yourself, "Self, I bet there's a bonus in it for me if I get this for'em." "But Self, if it's still on him when you hand over the once-twitchy meatsack, why would they pay?" "Good point Self, I should take it so I can make sure." "Not a bad idea if I do say so myself. But how do you know it's got anything worthwhile?" "You should open it." "But I'm you." "Good point." And here we are.

  You know what else I like though? A good pun to go with my surprises. And if my skill is anything like you hope it isn't, this will be a most excellent knee-slapper. If your intel was good, you had wifi down for the block when you made your move. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But I bet it isn't now. I bet you didn't bring some primitive landline to tell your superiors your job is done. But I bet you wish you had now, because you've heard ghost stories...

<Force Shutdown Denied>

<Force Shutdown Denied>

<Force Shutdown Denied>

  I know how people think. I know how I think. Deus ex machina. This might work. It might not. You don't know, anyone you tell won't know, and the more you mention it the faster you'll find yourself inhumed. But I'll know. Pretty funny, neh?

<Program BCipher complete>

<Shutdown Complete>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-27-16/1245:06>
<ooc> nice bground post +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <07-04-16/1315:15>
Incoming Data Feed
Source: Tog
Subject: How to secure your comms/ Pan protections for non-deckers

Hoi team, posting this to our shared tac-net, a parting piece of working advice from Tarus.
Note: I've implemented this on my personal comms already.

///begin transmission///

The Basic Package:
Nixdorf Sekretar running Diagnostics Commlink App; Device Modification, Add a Module (Program Carrier, Wrapper),2 Electronic parts (get consumed), 10 Standard RFID tags,  Total cost 5,401 Nuyen, up to 12 Devices in your PAN. 

Step one, Create your Pan.  Add the devices that have a wireless bonus that you always want running, starting with your Data Jack. 

Step two, if you've got spaces left in your PAN add RFID tags until you hit the PAN limit of devices.

Step three, go through and Wrapper everything important to be less important.  Wrapper the RFID tags as important stuff.

Step four, set your Nixdorf Agent to do a continuous Matrix Perception test on your Commlink and ask for a list of Marks.  Put the output in a tiny AR window, it should always read 4.

Step five, turn on your Diagnostic App. 

Example Samurai set up:

Nixdorf PAN, Device Rating 4; Data Processing 6; Firewall 2; Running Wrapper and Diagnostics.
Nixie the Agent; Computer 4 Pool 8 ; Hacking 4 Pool 8 ; Cybercombat 4 Pool 8; 

     Device                         Icon Wrapper
1.   Datajack                          Chipjack   
2.   Cybereyes                      Olfactory Booster
3.   Wired Reflexes                   Skill Wires
4.   Reaction Enhancement   Cyberears
5.   Earbuds                         Earbuds – because if they're hacking your earbuds you win.
6.   Ingram Smartgun             Concealable holster
7.   RFID                                Cybereyes
8.   RFID                                Wired Reflexes
9.   RFID                                Reaction Enhancer
10.  RFID                        Ingram Smartgun
11.  RFID                        Datajack
12.  RFID                        Fingertip Monowhip


How does this all work?  So a hostile hacker spots your PAN, if you're not a decker you can't run silent enough to stop a hacker from spotting you so don't waste your Nuyen trying.  Run silent when you're up to no good, but don't expect to actually slip past anyone actively looking. 

Odds are the hacker will likely go after one of your decoy RFID tags.  The Diagnostics app will immediately alert you to the matrix damage and you shut off your wireless.

If the hacker is the more patient sort they'll do Hack on the Fly and get some marks on your RFID tag first.  Since the tag is slaved to your Commlink PAN the hacker will also get Marks on your Commlink.  Your Agent will spot the Marks on the Agents next action, and you'll shut off your wireless.

So really, if the hacker wants to do anything clever, they need marks.  Your Agent spots the marks and you shut off your wireless.  If the hacker is brute force, they'll spike something, your Diagnostic app will alert you, and you'll shut off your wireless.

The worst that can happen is you piss off a patient brute force hacker.  They take several turns doing a matrix perception test on every Icon in the group.  Then go all out on something important.  If they can take it out in one shot, not much you can do, other then yell at your teams decker for not spotting the guy creeping on you in cyberspace for the last two minuets. 

Advanced packages.  If (when) you've got a little more Nuyen to burn you can get a second Commlink like the MCT Defender or the Transys Avalon with a higher Firewall rating.  Put your Program Carrier mod on the higher Firewall device and use that to set up your PAN.  This will give your devices a few more dice to resist any Matrix damage and lower the odds of getting one-shot by a hacker.  Also buy more RFID chips and have the Nixdorf running a completely dummy PAN for the lulz.     

Please note the lower Device rating on the MCT Defender.  Not recommended for heavily cybered character, but for Mages and Adepts will be fine.  Also note, Deckers/Riggers should be doing something similar but with better hardware and RFID chips scattered around the team wrappered up as something critical.

So there you go.  Jot down your list of important wireless bonus things, what you've wrappered them as, and some RFID decoys and set the Agent to autopilot when it's not out tracking down Catgirls for you.  This isn't fool proof.  A bastard GM will find clever ways around it, a really determined hacker will eventually figure out a way to make you miserable.  But, just getting randomly bricked by a security spider will be unlikely.     

///end transmission///

As a point of reference my setup looks something like this:

Distraction/ search Commlink-
Nixdorf Sekretar running Diagnostics Commlink App
Nixdorf Agent to do a continuous Matrix Perception test on my Transys Avalon Commlink and ask for a list of Marks.  The output is in a tiny AR window, it should always read 4 (the marks that I, as owner, have on the commlink)

Transys Avalon PAN commlink-
Modded with a program carrier running Wrapper (to disguise PAN members, see below).
It hosts the Novatech Tactician increasing it’s Firewall by 3.
Stats: Device Rating 6 / Firewall 3 / Total Firewall 9
Device / Icon Wrapper:
1). Mono-whip / fingertip light
2). Smartlink / olfactory sensor
3). Voice Modulator / datajack
4). Fichetti / Concealable Holster
5). Remington / biomonitor
6). Ruger / Tamagotchi
7). Savalette / Armani Belt
8). Streetline / Throwing Knife
9). Maglock Passkey / Ruger
10). Autopicker / Streetline
11). Contacts / Fichetti
12). Jammer / Remington
13). Sequencer /
14). Sleeping Tiger /
15). RFID Tag / Wired Reflexes
16). RFID Tag / Cybereyes
17). RFID Tag / Fingertip monowhip
18). RFID Tag / Savallette Guardian
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <07-27-16/1949:07>
"Disaster is following us", thinks Jan to himself.  "Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.  First we get attacked by a major commando group in Los Angeles.  Then airborne attacks in Caracas.  Now Bogata- both commandos and air to ground fire at the same time.  We are, where the Azzies always attacking, standing.  Every time.  And most often with about a day or two delay.  It is time, for electronic and magical spies to search.  We must our employer notify- we should an experienced outside decker hire.   And a mage who can see if astral seekers looking at us are.  Speaking of which, when bloodhound has us joined, then is when the trouble started.  Could he be the spy?"

Jan begins to privately voice his suspicions to Olaf and Jiao. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <08-10-16/0316:11>
Laying awake that evening, laying uncomfortably in bed, Bill drifted in and out of anonymously proofreading various college papers, a frequent pastime, as his mind wandered. So much didn't seem to add up. He was used to being in the middle of the drek; usually of his own damn-silly morals making him leap forward instead of away. But this group seemed to attract the sort of storm he'd only heard about in the "worst-case scenarios" of runner forums. At the same time they never seemed to be the target; if they had been, with the firepower called in, they wouldn't have made it out. Azzies. Damn strange.

None of the team seemed the type. No one pointed at him yet, at least openly, but the general reaction to heavy forces popping up was enough surprise that it had to have started with that meeting in L.A. They'd be damnable fools if they didn't suspect him. The goons didn't wear the right uniforms, but the others didn't know that. No one seemed the sort to play double-agent like the situation would call for. No, he felt in his hind brain, this was outside the team. Probably their charge, really. More than a bit mental, very paranoid, expecting her benefactors to turn on her after the first drop of trouble; the lady doth protest too much, methinks. And she'd been aware of their movements the whole time. Might have to test that theory. And maybe find a fast plane.

After finishing marking papers and absentmindedly knocking out a few crosswords, he sighed. It's going to get messy real quick. Might need to subcontract out a bit of work. Actually, that might not be a bad plan... See what's still on record for himself, and a bit more on the others. Not out of distrust, but to get a better focus on the inner workings. Always good to know how far the moral compass spins, which might sell out, trade in, or just pull a trigger and fade away. He pulled up his email, and started writing one to himself...

  "Hey Zed, long time. I owe you, and I hate to ask, but I could use a favor... Your advice is turning squiffy, and I've got some heat coming my way. I need to know how far I can trust them. I need to know what they could know on me. And, you willing, I could use a good reference for one of your more savvy proteges. I'm still dipping my toes in and they want an Olympian. Even just a tutor'd be handy I suppose. I'll keep up the fight."

It took hardly a nanosecond for his email to pop up in the in-box, and just as quick to be deleted. Sent to no one else, no evidence it ever existed. But nothing is ever truly erased. He didn't know if he'd get a response, but it didn't matter. He'd spent years hiding in some form or another. At worst he'd disappear into the crowd again, drop off the radar and surface again as some other unremarkable flatfoot looking for a paycheck. It was amazing at times how little people look at those who excel at looking for others. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Well, he thought, I suppose we do.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <08-21-16/1154:02>
<ooc> nice post +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jrezky on <10-09-16/0205:04>
Little did he realize at the time that her face would be haunting him for no understandable reason. Images of her mutilated body and her grotesque and decaying face, twisted and distorted writhing around on the ground in front of him will keep him awake the next couple nights, but we are not there yet.

"Why?... What is so special about these aberrant undead beings versus everything I've seen prior to this? Why was I suddenly terrified to the point of fleeing now as never before when nobody else batted an eyelash? Could be losing it... All this death-defying shadowrunning may finally be catching up with me after coming back from that break back home... But then why now? Not one sleepless night haunted by images from past jobs. Nary a single odd stare from a relative and then realizing I had on a thousand-yard stare. Had I... changed? I have noticed feeling different after getting this new suprathyroid gland. It's clear that physically I am much stronger and faster, but perhaps I did not take into account that there might be mental downsides... I am much more easily excited; quicker to anger and quicker to upset. Could this be the change that put me over the edge into no longer troll?"

He pondered on during the quiet walk back through that small, dark tunnel.

"Is this it? can I no longer turn back? This shadowrunning was supposed to build me a better life, but am I turning into someone I hate?"

Tuning out the sounds of shuffling feet and gear he continues onward, his disquieted mind racing in circles. Worrying to himself marked by the occasional odd water drop overhead and talking himself back out again punctuated by the splashes underfoot. Who knows what this means for Olof now. He sincerely hopes this was just a fluke and he just needs to get used to it, but for now tries to remain concerned with finishing the job.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-12-16/1431:33>
<awesome! +1 karma for character development. Keep hitting on the idea of the effect the suprathyroid is having on you/ your metahumanity, its a good theme. Also FYI your positive quality GUTS should have added a bonus to that roll, keep it in mind next time >
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-12-16/1628:52>
"This way towards the exit folks, step right this way" Tog blathered into the tac-net as his thoughts turned to the past few minutes.

"Shedim. FUUUUUUUCK those possessive bastards. How in hades did those fraggers get so close up on our ass without anyone spotting them? How were they able to avoid all the various and sundry methods we have at our disposal to detect them? Visual, auditory, ultrasound, astral…all worthless.

Looks like i’m going to have to give some serious thought to overwatch procedures…along with just about everything else about how this team works.
I mean Bloodhound just forgot to bring his drones apparently…wtf?!

It’s just too chaotic, there should be SOPs for the recon, infil, targeting and exfil operational phases. Kinda shocking they’ve been running together for over a year and they’re still basically winging it."

For now I’m gonna have to limit my attention to the more immediate worry of how to get the Shedim stank out of my suit...
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <10-14-16/2000:22>
<ooc:  They were heavily cloaked against vision and sound (look up their powers) in an alleyway, and using the commlink as a lure/distraction.  I was waiting for anyone to give any indication at all that they were looking around rather than at the commlink, you would have gotten perception roll bonuses.  Yours was closest, Tog, but you failed by two hits.  No one was astrally perceiving at the time, and no one caught the cues about sound reflections abruptly changing and the temperature suddenly dropping.  But you slaughtered 'em anyway.>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-16-16/1129:12>
<ooc yeah np, knowing ooc doesn't stop tog's IC freakout>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <10-21-16/2307:18>
(Had meant for this to go up during downtime, but consider it a sort of post pre-adventure bit. It's rough and sort of drops off at the end, but otherwise hope everyone enjoys!)

   How the time flew past... With his windfall, he'd been able to spruce up his home/office a fair bit. Not that anyone would really notice unless they were overly curious. Some new wallpaper, laden with FAB II to keep out any magical snooping; it was expensive, but with all the mumbo-jumbo he saw with that group, he didn't care to take any chances something held a grudge. A new sparring drone stood in the corner, fitted with a training soft for Firefight. It felt like ages since he'd even thought of using that technique, rustier than an Iron Age dagger, but it could come in handy once more. People in this area didn't just lay low, they laid down. It kept ones vitals out of the line of fire. No one important snooped through buildings around here because it wasn't worth the trouble, and those that might break in tended to have enough sense to know that if they see something really strange, like an armory workshop snuck inside a shed, you say nothing and drink to forget.

   The neighborhood was an odd mix, just enough money about to keep it from being declared a Z-zone, but poor enough that just about everyone had to spend all their time surviving instead of bettering things. The sort of place corps ignored because it wasn't worth the time. Where "better" people wouldn't dare tread unless they absolutely had to, and they often had the money to make sure they never had to. But this was where real people lived in this day and age. They didn't have enough free time to cause much trouble, certainly not enough to bulldrek each other, and while there was always racial tension it became difficult to think of yourself as "superior" to anyone else when you all ate the same, shopped in the same little corner store, and didn't have your own segregated wine bars. Folk that talked too loud about trogs, daisyeaters, or whatever else would find themselves a few teeth lighter in an alley, and no one saw a thing. Not because everyone was just so open-hearted, but because anyone trying to stir up that sort of trouble might as well commit suicide.

   Today, with some time on his hands, Bill found himself wandering over to the White Dragon noodle bar, a frequent pit-stop of his when he had time to kill. The chef was either a true master with soy or a master with devilrat, because the meat didn't taste like either. "How do you eat that stuff?" "With his mouth." Thankfully no one else heard the exchange, his eyes not even glancing at the two icons. He'd come to call them Yassarian and Algernon. Regardless of how he compiled them, they never changed much in attitude. Yassarian always seemed hopefully pessimistic as if waiting for some reason to say, in an upbeat voice, "I told you so." He mostly preferred being a Fault sprite, it gave him more opportunities to say that to people, even if they couldn't hear him. As for Algernon...  As far as Bill knew, all Data sprites were supposed to be fairly smart, but he hadn't heard of any that waxed and waned between savant and idiot savant. Al always seemed to have a good metaphorical head on his shoulders but the quantity of air it held seemed to shift, and it looked like today it was enough to float a zeppelin. But for all their faults, har har Yas, they and the others were good company.

   While he ate the unidentifiable but undeniably tasty noodle bowl, he surfed through various postings. Some were inquiries about detective work; mostly tracking down folks for summons, the occassional background check, and the ever-present infidelity footwork. Wife staying too late at an office somewhere, husband going on too many business trips, corp security too busy making sure there aren't any waves to care if anyone's playing around in the water. Never glamorous work but it kept the lights on, the soykafe luke-warm and the account in the black. In another part of his vision he looked through some of the replies he got from a posting to offer cheap help to high school and community college students on their papers. A couple showed real promise, and it was a shame they'd only go so far because of where they were born or the shape and color of their skin. Of course, then there were the opposite...

   "What the hell is this? Al, what is this?" "It's a paper." "What does it say?" "It says they enjoy learning about bioscience and hope to work at Horizon when they graduate." Bill couldn't help but take a deep breath. "Twelve pages and the whole drek thing's written in emoji. Kid better hope they have a cousin inside."He thought about putting it up on one of his favorite sites, "Is our children learning?" but decided against it. Airing things like that would just hurt what little rep he had and might cut back how many people fed his hobby.

   After finishing lunch, he ambled towards the neighborhood shopping center. It wasn't much to look at, but a good place to relax and people watch, maybe see what new trid they managed to wrangle or what novahot game the pirates are hawking. He spotted a couple kids looking eagerly at one of the not-yet-abandoned vending machines and gave a virtual nod to Yassarian. Without missing a beat, his path curved and he grabbed a random candy bar from the handful that spilled out of the machine, the kids busily picking up the rest. He just gave a bit of a smirk and carried on, ignoring the pop-up in his view. "Hungry? Grab a." Close. Stupid tags. He thought about clearing it, but opted to wait. Never be too clean, after all. Nothing screams, "I have something to hide," quite like having nothing showing.

   His alarm went off, popping up in AR to remind him that his target would be getting off work soon. At least, that's what the wife said his schedule was. He'd have to hop Downtown soon. Being a PI wasn't anywhere near as glamorous as the trids would show, but it was handy for skulking about and it kept the lights on.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-21-16/2345:36>
Jiao slogged her way home quietly still a bit concerned for what happened.

A beautiful face brought her into this. She pulled she pushed to try to go faster. Who knows? Maybe if she was a bit faster they could have saved her. Again she only had this coin (or memory of it if Whyt stole it) in her hand and sighed. How much would these coins cost her?

Kicking off her shoes, Jiao uncharacteristically slouched in her well maintained apartment, supposedly free from cares. Taking out her favorite glass of red wine she turned on the political news to listen to someone's life hopefully worse than hers. Jiao would never admit it, but part of her actually likes it.

That was until a certain commercial for a random corp came on. She couldn't quite remember the name something with an M...but it sent a shiver down her spine and made her feel like a kid. Shaking it off she wondered why it did that. Probably some subliminal (and illegal) advertising. Jiao mused as she took another sip.

Finally some green orc in a suit came on the screen and she listened to all the local gossip. It wasn't as good as being in the salon back home but it was something. Something that distracted her from her feelings.

Mixing alcohol, sleep, and problems never really works and Jiao seemingly woke up with a start. She was in the usual haunt but about the size of her thumb. Meekly, Jiao shouted "Down here!!!"

All in the group ignored her and went out. "We don't need her anyway. She was just dead weight. All talk..no one important." She heard more random comments from her 'partners'. Is that what they think of me? The group leaves and then comes back with a old fashioned chest with lots of coins and merrily tossed them around. They looked like thousands of coins of luck. The group bragged about paydirt and opened up a cooler, okay two for the troll.

"All we had to do was murder some corporate ass hats who kept talking about Jiao the useless corporate wage slave..." A picture of her now with that company logo from before on a badge makes her shiver.

It is at this point Jiao woke up with a start still in her chair. Thankfully full size but drenched in sweat.

Apparently Jiao has more problems then she realizes or talks about...She has became the mark she preys upon.

Downing the rest of the bottle she then crashes in her bed hoping not to have another nightmare.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <10-21-16/2352:56>
http://i.imgur.com/bBncgUT.jpg

Jiao in her mini state
(Also my mini for Saturday if I remember to bring her. Oh and please don't judge the paint job I don't have much experience)
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <10-22-16/0957:24>
<<<<<<<<Audio Journal entry #??>>>>>>

It has been a while since I’ve been able to log. I had already written this a while ago, but never got to upload it. I’m finally on a kind of break if you will, training my ass off. I’ll give you some back story to the log itself.

I had a family emergency arise forcing me to leave my shadow runner group and attend to my family’s needs. I come from a family of assassins after all, I’m bound to traditions few remember and customs few exercise, but many enforce. I had heard during a mission with my group that our clan leader had passed away. I had to leave as tradition and go to the Den of demons, a name they gave the clan leaders stronghold. It is located on the inside of a waterfall in neo Tokyo. I had to leave my group to get to the Den of demons. I met Jyugumo (ten spider) there, he walked up to me, and informed me of what had happened to the head commander.

He was betrayed by 17 members of the clan, and killed, these members were led by a well known assassin of our order who in the professional world is known as Nine. The professional world gave him this name since he always left 9 slashes on a body in a “weird” lettering, in truth this is simply a by product of his sword style. He uses two blades and with his fighting style every slash creates 3 gashes that connect and form what look like a nine. His assassin name among us is Nii-suga, meaning “the two fangs”, this name was given to him by our late clan leader Minamoto, also known as Ogumo or the “Giant Spider”. Yes, Jyugumo’s father was the clan leader, and now he was dead.

When I was brought into the Kageyama branch clan, which is known as the gumo clan, as a kid I was raised with Jyugumo, or Hitoshi as he was called then in the gumo household. My father and the Ogumo went way back, even going so far as to call my father his sworn brother. My brother who was alive back then was raised in the Inui household; we were split apart so we wouldn’t rely on one another but this was only for a little while, after all family is all that’s important in the kageyama clan, no matter what branch you are in. To me, ultimately, Ogumo was like my second father, and Jyugumo was considered blood to me. However, Nii-suga was my teacher, along with Elder Orion, this made me a suspect once I arrived to our stronghold, the den of demons, the akuma no sokutsu.

@the Akuma no sokutsu

As I arrived I could feel a lingering gaze, it’s been a while since I was last here. Modern defenses are now more evident. Turrets, drones, magic wards, traps are literally everywhere, yet hidden like a grown man’s porn stash. It’s not a matter of enmity that frustrates me, but the suspicion that I am a traitor to the clan like Nii-suga and the other 16 members. People I once thought I could trust with my life judge me prematurely. People whose respect I once required, suspect me without any cause. It puts more into perspective. Elder Orion even handed me off to a friend of his…I didn’t even know spirits could have other spirit friends. The more you know huh? Still its grating, it feels like everyone I once knew no longer carries a fire of remembrance for me, but instead a vengeful violet hue of a flame.
Their so far is only one person I know who wouldn’t question my honor, or dedication to our clan. The son of the recently murdered leader of our clan, Hitoshi Nara…or otherwise known as Jyugumo. I was actually the one who gave him the name Jyugumo as a joke from when we were kids, but leave it to Hitoshi to make it mean strength instead of weakness. When we were kids he had terrible control of his body, he would trip a lot…like... a…lot. So I told him it’s like he has ten legs, impossible to control all of them. Well he finally found something he was great at, wire. He mastered monofilament whips, wires, and all forms of using rope or string as a weapon. He was awakened since birth, born with a gift of magic like me, its why we were grouped as kids. His skill is unparalleled, when it comes to the blade few can defeat me within the clan, but Hitoshi, will win 9 times out of 10 if uses his whip and wire. He uses the magic fingers spell, to control multiple at a time, summoning air spirits to coil the sharp filament around you, as he slices you into pieces. It literally feels like a giant spider is wrapping you up to your death, his precision is overwhelming. I once watched him catch a fly with his whip, sew its wings together, all while it was in midair and 5 meters away from him. We grew up together mastering our craft, I haven’t seen him, but it was he who called me and told me the news.

I felt a murderous intent behind me as I began walking down the “path of sorrow”, a strip of pavement where we bury the dead underneath the road. It is extremely narrow, meant to provide training in the area of balance. I spin around with my blade drawn, ready to counter the enemy with a well-timed slash at the legs, enough to maim but not enough to kill. Fast as lightning a blade is being swung at my face, but not at a speed I can’t negate. In fact, the blade isn’t what took my attention, it was the water. Flying little orbs of water moving towards me like a projectile after every swing. My reflexes catch up, and suddenly I can clearly see, oh I get it now. Its Sakura Nara, Hitoshi’s sister, and daughter of the recently slain Minamoto Nara, aka the Ogumo. Her attacks are focused yet sloppy, emotions are getting the better of her, I’ve been in her position before, but I was colder…more closed. I parry her blade, rotating her, and I grab her, hug her…she drops her blade and weeps in my arms. I hear footsteps approaching, silent but intentionally announcing their presence. It is Hitoshi, aka the Jyugumo, who walks with such skill.

“Shiro, my brother, I see you have arrived.” –Jyugumo

“Hitoshi, I was not part of this, as you know, I wasn’t even in the country. If I were here Ryuga wouldn’t have left.” –Wyt

I push Sakura away from my arms, and walk towards Hitoshi. Ever since we were kids we had a secret a handshake, one we do with our fists, and our techniques. He attempts to punch me but I parry, he jumps off my chest attempting to do a backflip with the intention of kicking me in the chin. I let it hit me, but jumping to reduce the impact to nothing. I contort my body to flip in the air, then throw my body towards his face, attempting to flying kick him. He easily avoids, we stand up, bow, and our arms lock like warriors saluting each other.

“My brother, I have not seen you in a while, I assume you are caught up to speed.”-jyugumo

“yes, your message, gave me much to look up”-wyt

Jyugumo looked at me with a hint of trouble in his eyes, I could tell it required every fiber of his being to look objectively and observe the facts instead of succumbing to rage. He walked towards his sister, and told her, that it wasn’t me who had anything to do with Ogumo’s death. Sakura was still crying but stood up and bowed towards me as an apology.

Some time passed as we went through our death rites, eventually moving the body to the guardian room. A room where every leader has been buried and a monument built and placed over the area of them or their personification. In this case the Ogumo, is represented by a giant spider. Soil is put at the tips of the monument, as the soil and plants absorb the bodies nutrients and blooms flowers, so do we know the state of our late leaders. It represents rebirth and shows if they are happy or not. I said my peace at the funeral and began to head to my room. I ran into Sakura on the way, she wasn’t crying and had a good aura around her. She followed me and said nothing all the way into my room. I was worried about her as a friend, she may be hot as fuck but she is still Hitoshi’s sister, so I never tried anything. I sat down in my room, as barren as it was it still had a few aesthetics that spoke about my personality. A few books from Henry David Thoreau, H.P. Lovecraft, a few mangas, Sun Tzu’s the art of war, the Odyssey by Homer, and a worn out incredulously old copy of Plato’s symposium. I had my magical lodge here in my room. A empty space of black, that only ignites when I choose it to. A place where I can leave my body and learn. I meditated for hours reflecting on information pertaining to my job, when an odd question occurred to me. Who the fuck was that nartaki who tried to speak to me, when jai showed up all awakened and shit. I never realized how weird that was, is it possible she was working with nine?! Was she trying to get me to join nines betrayal?! There have been such a series of crazy shit to happen to me recently. I mean fuck! I went to Caracas, a fucking jungle, although that part was awesome I hadn’t gotten a chance to go camping and just enjoy nature. Hey now that I think about it, that nartaki chick was there too. I almost forgot about her due to how quick she died, I mean, she wanted my undivided attention…and well…she got it. But what was she doing there, who sent her, more importantly, oh yeah! I came really close to death that time. I dodged like 30 bullets, out of 31, got pegged once. That was probably the fastest I’ve ever moved in my life. I wonder if I’m getting close to my brothers speed. But what made me move that fast, was it the rain? No that’s too mundane if anything it must have been the alcheria we were in. I felt faster, smarter, things just slowed down, every time I went to dodge a bullet I thought, I’m not going to make it, and then, bam, just enough time, vision slowed, what the fuck. Don’t even get me started on elder orion just passing my training off to some random guy. I hate the feeling like have very little control in my life right now. At times like this I normally train with the elder, but since this new guy started talking to me, I haven’t been able to speak to him. I can’t reach this new mentor either, ugh, so annoying.

She literally is sitting behind me with her head down, like she wants to say something. I can feel her presence, Sakura is still in my room, and is totally distracting. I mean just look at those fucking tits…I mean… what does she want from me.

“Sakura, there is no need to apologize, you can go, I know you didn’t know what to assume, hell most of the clan is still looking at me like a piece of shit, just for being trained by nii-suga, and that’s after Hitoshi cleared my name at the funeral. I guess people just want something to take their anger out on.” –Wyt

“No, shiro, I just attacked you, im sorry, but more importantly, the reason im here…well…”-Sakura

She wouldn’t spit out what she was doing, so I probed for information a little.

“just tell me, I need to train, review, and go seek information on ryuga.”-Wyt

“I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE A SHADOW RUNNER!”-Sakura

she blurted it out so loud, it startled me. I began to recall her being placed into the Suiton branch clan, to train her healing abilities and the ability given to all in the Suiton branch at birth, Resonance. She was born a technomancer, but was also extremely gifted in understanding the body of metavariants and humans. She can identify what’s wrong and fix it with surgery even at the age of 14 she had this skill. Since she is 24 now she has had 10 years to perfect her talents. However, since she was the leader’s daughter he kept her out of danger, and close. Her secret obsession is trodes, she loves all forms of entertainment, especially games. And I mean allllll forms of entertainment, from porn to btl’s. She has a kind of obsessive personality thanks to being sheltered most of her life. Don’t ask me how I know this, but I will say it’s a funny story.

Regardless I smiled a bit, and told her how my runs were as of late, and she listened like I was a bard and this were medieval times. Eventually I wound up going to sleep, I guess she passed out in my room as well, since I woke up with her next to me. HEY! Nothing happened. Anyways I learned what I could from the scene of the assassination, and I noticed something interesting in the roof of the room the leader was killed in. a piece of metal, that looks like it belonged to a blade. Its position indicates that someone tried to fight nine to stop him from leaving, held him for a while, until he was attacked by the other members. The interesting part is, there is no trace blood, so this person must have gotten away. Huh there were three party’s there that day, ogumo, nine’s crew, and the mysterious person who came to ogumo’s aid a bit too late. All I know is the broken piece of the blade this person used, has a yellow dragon design on the side of the blade. Well at least I have a clue.

I called my contacts had them keep a look out for me, and as tradition Jyugumo is next in line for succession as long as no one pops up and challenges him for the seat. The Kame order as their called will make decisions for the clan temporarily until 6 months have passed, in which “the test” will ensue. The mirror test, as its otherwise known, is a test where the people who wish to lead can fight for leadership, and eventually they must look into a mirror and be subject to an ancient magic that makes your true self reveal itself. You must answer the kame’s questions in this form, the more you lie the stronger your alternate self becomes, you must physically destroy this form to become the leader, if you fail you die, by your alter form. So for now Jyugumo will be busy preparing to lead, by training.

As I began to leave, I was assaulted by a voice in my mind.

“come to the mountains in the okinawa prefecture, it’s time to start your training, my agent will be waiting for you.” –adversary mentor

well this is exactly what I asked for, I can’t do anything at the moment, but wait until one of my contacts gets in touch with me with information. I said goodbye to the two people in my entire clan who trust me, so I guess it’s time to go get stronger.

-Audio log executed


Important npc’s to Wyt

Sakura Nara-healer/technomancer/skilled with blades, and bows

Hitoshi Nara-aka the Jyugumo/mystic adept/skilled with wires, whips, and grapple guns

Ryuga Shina-aka nine, aka nii-suga, two sword wielder/augmented with cybernetics and gene stuff/extremely logical, and well rounded, (basically dude has an 8 in every attribute and blade skill)

Jeff notes-I left the motivation for ryuga killing the leader unspecified, as well as the name for his little group, for gm rites lol. Also the den of demons is heavily fortified, with only a single entrance, and a shit ton of recent defense upgrades. The upgrades were before ogumo was assassinated so it shows that someone knows something about the clan being under attack, that wyt doesn’t know about. Also left that unspecified for gm rites. I left the mysterious stranger who was there at the night of the murder, unspecified for gm rites, but I was thinking he is an assassin who knew ogumo, who could maybe later become a rival, or a friend on some high profile mission we do at some point. It’s just I have the assassin knowledge skill, and I don’t see it ever being handy, so would like some way to use it, to showcase my knowledge of the assassin world.
Title: Just a bit of images I captured
Post by: Wyt on <10-22-16/1019:06>
Here is what the den demons looks like, so if you run into it, you should probably leave.
Title: more images
Post by: Wyt on <10-22-16/1023:29>
here are some more images taken with my comm link, labeled as well, my teacher, my...crush, and hitoshi my non blood brother
Title: ovum's service
Post by: Wyt on <10-22-16/1025:11>
Im also adding a picture of Ogumo, for those who are reading this and don't have one of him, as well as an image of me meditating. lol cool selfie
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-29-16/1230:29>
<<ooc Good stuff Bloodhound, Wyt and Jiao, +1 karma each added to your character sheets>>
Title: Mental Dossiers #1 - Wyt
Post by: Reverend on <02-19-17/1928:19>
During one of the seemingly rare quiet moments of late, Bill took the opportunity to tune out the world for a while. He knew he didn't have much experience in this sort of work and his team mates were an odd grab-bag of personalities and skills. It worked, at least so far. Old habits kicked in while he sat in his thoughts, the mental image of a criminal profile forming...

Dossier of Wyt

Physical:
Elven male, Asian. Seems pique physical condition, exceptionally dexterous. Magical martial artist, primarily blades.

Notes:
'Nuff said.

Combat:
So far no ranged combat personally, does use spirits but appears to greatly prefer direct melee combat. Highly skilled with blades, uncertain of skill in other melee weapons. Quite adept at avoiding ranged fire.

Notes:
Definite code of honor of some sort here; one on one fights, seems to dislike unfair odds, and goes out of his way to be flashy while taking on the opp's top fighter mano-a-sword-o. If he weren't so good at it, I'd let him know he's about 400 years too late. Neh. Definite martial training, though given the anachronism I highly doubt it's from any organization that has a 'trix site. Probably some mystical monks what live on some mountaintop somewhere.

Demeanor:
Exceptionally confident in skill, otherwise relatively quiet. Highly distracted when not "on the job," but professional while working. Glitzy, goes out of his way to add flash. Greatly enjoys non-soy food, but not picky. Does not take orders well. Doesn't seem to back down from a fight unless other assets are at risk.

Notes:
Who knows what time vortex he must've thought he stepped through. Maybe too many old trids growing up, or one too few. Definitely seems to have memorized Yojimbo though. Works well as part of a team but not as a subordinate. Safe to assume that his previous life had sensei and pupils but not leader and followers. Definite "remote village" feel about him, has a bit more take-or-leave-it philosophy to creature comforts. Opted to make himself cozy in a shed rather than travel further to look for an expensive hotel; gained a bit of respect there.

Goals/Motivations:
None stated as yet, but appears to be out for the experience. Worthy adversaries, make a name. Has occasionally left a calling card, origami, but certainly not compulsory.

Notes:
He hasn't said he's out to be one of those "good guy" runners folk idealize over, but I suspect that's in there. He has gone out of his way to entertain children before when he had time on his hands. Showing off yes, but how many folk would call on a water spirit to play Marco Polo?

Personal Estimation:
Proven Asset
Title: Mental Dossier #2 - Tog
Post by: Reverend on <02-19-17/1931:19>
Dossier of Tog

Physical:
This individual can change their face and relative shape with ease; most often male, their bearing would suggest that male is their original gender. Difficult to know what facial features are original, possibly entirely a shifting construct. Frequent use of tailored pheromones and voice alteration.

Notes: Not sure where they're originally from but the swagger definitely screams male. Possibly Asian, but these days who can be sure. Attitude makes me think elven. I hate to stereotype, but this seems too comfy to be a ruse.

Combat:
Monofilament whip in finger, hidden pistol in yet-unknown location. Magically active, type unclear.

Notes: Whip isn't a safe weapon, so they had that a long while to be so comfortable. It's an implant, they're awakened, so not likely to be from Bargain Bobs. Almost overconfident about getting it and the gun through security of all types. Small yes, but makes me think it wasn't installed anywhere that advertises.

Demeanor:
Often first entering an area, never visibly armed. High focus on attempting precision in operations. Dislikes prolonged debate or planning. Quick to make decisions impacting others without input. Relies heavily on intimidation, self-confidence and veiled threat techniques followed by magical manipulation before combat. No hesitation taking hidden weapons through scanners.

Notes: Power seems like this one's opiate. No signs of humility, quick to make demands, and openly holds the veiled threat of aces up the sleeve. If that doesn't seem to work, they move right to magical coercion and follow with combat. Reminds me of bad cops. Definitely believe from some sort of violent organized background; well-structured gang, maybe security or military. Not likely to have been high in the ranks; that sort of attitude gets beaten out after sergeant before getting injected back for captain, and that usually includes less hubris these days. Sometimes seems to try good cop/bad cop with the other elf, but is never good cop.

Goals/Motivations:
No yet demonstrated motives regarding work apart from nuyen. No compunction towards backstabbing or betraying employers for the right price. No demonstrated moral line as of yet. Compulsion to always project display of power. Demonstrably comfortable "slumming it" as necessary. Quick to take creature comfort at earliest feasible opportunity but not required.

Notes: Again leads me to think low-level in a violent org; no apparent hatred towards any specific corp, certainly no sign of trying to be a vigilante or any real consideration of right or wrong, just the nuyen. Doesn't seem to be in it for an investment either, seems fine splurging on finer things but can easily live without. They want power over others, enjoy it, and want to make sure no one has it over them. Even when they do. Makes me wonder how much it'd cost to see if he'd sell me out. Best not dwell on that yet.

Personal Estimation:
So far, I'd go about as far as to say "as far as I can throw'em," but who knows what they actually weigh?

Unproven Asset
Title: Mental Dossier #3 - Olof
Post by: Reverend on <02-19-17/1933:07>
Dossier of Olof

Physical:
Male troll. German I believe (?). HUGE. Really big. No, bigger.

Notes:
Little larger than that.

Combat:
Skilled in unarmed combat, assault weapons and heavy gunnery. Possible previous merc work, few gangs get to play with miniguns. Have not noticed any martial arts so far. Protective appears to be priority. Focuses on ranged combat when able.

Notes:
Only so much I can do here, really. Combat. Troll. He quickly puts himself up as a shield for assets, and for as much pain as he can dish out he can take it better than most trolls I've met. If he were twitchier and more coffee-addled I'd think he was post-HTR. Guy could carry a platoon out safely.

Demeanor:
Quiet. Possibly highly introspective. Doesn't shy from combat but so far seems unwilling to start it. Eats more than one would assume even for a troll. Comfortable in low environments, seems unused to expensive tastes. Doesn't seem very comfortable with the female elf.

Notes:
In his defense, the team leaders are two twinkle ego elves who take over negotiations even when they're *pretending* to be employees, so I don't blame the guy for being quiet. Even at his size, when drek hits the fan, who's going to remember the big troll versus the in-your-face elves? Haven't had much time to talk with him, but shown to be fairly personable when given the opportunity. My guess about the elf, it's the flaunting. Some women don't get that they aren't all that to all folk.

Goals/Motivations:
Unclear. Nuyen, of course, but his demeanor doesn't seem the "live fast, die young, leave an interesting corpse" sort. Wherever he gained his skills initially, I suspect he wanted something safer sooner and ended up picking the wrong help wanted ad, and just stuck with it. Not seemingly actively out to be the good guy but he seems to pick up the opportunities when they show themselves.

Personal Estimation:
Proven Asset
Title: Mental Dossier #4 - Jiao
Post by: Reverend on <02-19-17/1941:30>
Dossier of Jiao

Physical:
Elven female. Asian. Highly attractive, physically unimposing. Often dresses to overemphasize attractiveness.

Notes:
Sometimes reminds me of those half-ton troll women who don't accept that not everyone's a fan of that.

Combat:
Spellslinger and spirits. Mostly spirits. Often attempts to act as an innocent bystander during combat, even when actions do not support the attempt. Heavily utilizes cover.

Notes:
As non-combative as she might appear, I don't think even she realizes how dangerous she could be. Wouldn't want to be the first one to corner her when she caught on. Watch for the pretty bystander screaming for help while telling a big troll in the fight what to do. Kind of a tell. I doubt there's any training here, it's all winging it. Too used to charming people to know how to get out of a fight any other way, and the humility act is more patronizing.

Demeanor:
Overly sexual nature, heavily reliant on feminine wiles to solve all ills. Often plays the brainless ditz to avoid being labeled a threat. Difficult to tell how intelligent she is under the facade. Quickly takes center in social situations. Extremely uncomfortable in less than middle-class conditions. Prefers expensive tastes by far. No technological capabilities to speak of. Racist tendencies. Heavily anti-corp but self-deluding about employers.

Notes:
Where to start. She makes the troll physically ill when she turns her wiles at him. Maybe she knows and thinks it's fun. I imagine for him she'd look like an emaciated, ill toddler. Nothing against folk finding love wherever, but you don't need my augments to hear his stomach flip in a bad way. Could be that she's got an on-again off-again FB thing with the elves and he's classy enough to keep it professional. But that sickening flump from his gut says it's not out of courtesy. Like Tog, when it comes to social interaction she will quickly break cover if she's playing second fiddle. Can't stand anything less than mid-class, this lady is *not* street. If they had to infiltrate a biker gang she'd show up in pre-torn original Levi's and an Armani leather jacket. Screams mid-level management kid. Used to getting her way with a smile and a flash of cleavage, no sign of street fights in her past, and too hungry for the absolute finest things in life for those to have been within reach. Can barely manage her pito account; HAS a pito account. Definite elven superiority complex. Again sign of mid-management upbringing; that would've been beat out on the streets if she didn't join a gang, and she doesn't have the skills to indicate that route. Very anti-corp but tries to ignore that nearly all shadow work is from them; working with Triad, but they've got strings too. It's all there. Twinged at Mitsuhama jingle, far less apprehensive working with them than others.

Goals/Motivations:
Glitteratzi as far as she acts. Wants the biggest scores to pay for the finest things. Doesn't seem to be in it for the rush, not gritty enough to be doing this because they have to. Works with the Triads but doesn't seem to hold any major allegiance there. Enjoys the limelight but doesn't want to be known as a criminal. They aren't planning on being here permanently.

Notes:
Idealistic view of what life at the top is like, seems to think it's all orgies, nuyen-baths and peeled grapes. Reminds me of the old trust-fund runners. She's the first go-to for contacting the Triads so likely it's her contact, the other elves might have ties but she's the one they know. Wants the money but doesn't come from a background that *needs* it, just more of it. No mention of family, that isn't unexpected but I think that's the leverage. Maybe they disowned her over her actions and she's trying to show them up. Possibly they're debted. If so it isn't bad or she isn't that concerned; coffin motels and scrimping are what people do when the legbreakers are on the way. This would be a large but not immediate debt. Investment perhaps, the debtor is getting their interest already so there's no rush. More sign of mid-management ties, lower and it'd be kneecapping, higher and it'd be a tax write-off.

Personal Estimation:
Unproven Asset
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-19-17/2043:46>
awesome stuff!

+4 karma
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <03-07-17/0113:50>
lol the dossiers are awesome haha
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jrezky on <03-07-17/0303:24>
<OOC>
Yeah, great job on those Patrick!

I might as well put down some thoughts I have been having while in character...
</OOC>

It's becoming so easy. Putting people through dishwashers, crushing them into the ground in a single instant, sometimes with little provocation... Their faces are starting to blur together, ever increasing in distance within my mind. Soon it feels like they will no longer possess faces. All of this bioware I have taken on... The suprathyroid gland greatly progressed this change in me which brought it to my attention, but that certainly wasn't the beginning.
It worries me greatly, but who knows when I'm thinking straight at this point. I made my decision long ago and I will follow that path. I only hope the consequences are not too great by the end. Of course, "the end," could happen at any time in this business so, on that hand, no risk can be too great, right?

...

No, I can't think that way or I lose my metahumaity altogether and become exactly who I despise. I need to find some way to keep myself on track in case I get... confused in future. I must visit home more often, though it seems unlikely to make it back home, as my hate-filled enemies say, to "die vaterland." Suppose I could find... or maybe even start a dojo? Someplace to hone my craft, to shut out and shield myself from the overstimulation of today's precise, personally-targeted holo-advertisements and jacked-in ppv trid feeds. Perhaps I could even meet some people and even help the locals.

"All-in..." I still hate to say it, it rings loud and clear throughout my mind in the most silent moments. Our new squaddie Tog offered me a piece of his own 'ware he had to remove to fit something else. I was hesitating at first at what it could mean to take more augments, but if it helps me avenge my family, to hell with the consequences, to hell with Alamos 20,000 and to hell with Humanis as well!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Wyt on <03-09-17/2331:58>
audio log journal entry #??

I have had quite a difficult time in los angeles, as soon as we get there, our identity is stolen, and we are high profiled, during the interrogations one of us were basically raped. This pissed me off to no end, when my team slept i took jiaos contacts she had to pull the image off, to get a good picture of who did it, ill publish the hit, with a reward of 50k nyuen. Well getting off topic, I found a picture with me in a bar, hard to tell its me with my mask on, but jiao is straight up in the picture, no mask or anything, hanging out with some gang members. We just killed some ghouls who thought it was a great idea to pick a fight with some runners. After that more trouble followed, and then even more trouble, we literally went and battled some cybered up ninjas, im not close minded enough to question what they were thinking, but they should have ran when there seems to be a dude holding a katana and nothing else, says a few things about how he fights, ie. me. They came at my team in groups but they lacked training, i got surrounded by them, and i was bored. I mean they were very easy to block, little skill, just speed. Fuckers were hard to hit, but well if the fight lasted any longer I would have dealt with it, a teammate was climbing on the ceiling, thinking he is spider-dude or some shit, wound up getting cut up. I thought he could hold his own but he seems to lack martial discipline, relying on his enhancements over skill. Hell its that exact reason that the kageyama clan banned cybernetic enhancements. Its just one reason that my late traitor of a teacher left the clan.

I thought it was funny that after i killed the ninjas when they were grouped their leader decided to fight honoring some samurai code, lol. He ordered his men to leave from fighting me so I could fight one at a time. I mean how stupid are you, if you turn ur back in a fight, be sure to realize i will capitalize on that mistake. It literally rained blood, but well that wasn't the first time. After that experience I began to notice a trend in cyber enemies, my weakness is snipers, hard to dodge that, even when you know where it's coming from. Well long story short, we wound up actually working with the ninjas later, was funny. They wanted us to do something fairly impossible, it was good pay so we "ran" with it. Lol

We had to infiltrate a bank famous for its security, i mean normally if i had to do this myself, I would bind some force 8 spirits, with my magical lodge and reagents. Then id use them to all out assault the building, while I extracted what i needed, but i guess that's happened to them before, since the WHOLE building was warded. I had heard that there was a dragon in this mother fucker to, but we got in and got out. However the guy who normally gets fucked up and who was spider climbing, made this easy as fuck. He can change shape, voice, and can literally impersonate anyone. He went in, lowered defenses, got to the server room, and walked out the building. His ability to manipulate people is scary. Its odd he doesn't try to do it among us, he would get his way alot, he could impersonate one of us and lie to each other, to the point that we just all followed his plan. Instead he is extremely curt, crass, and kind of a dick, but seems to be pretty loyal to us. I mean we have all been through some tough shit, and the group has known each other longer than they have known me. But i feel safe among the group, sometimes i try to get into fights just to test the boundaries among the group, get a better feel for them, after all i never know when they might become a target, and its good to know how they tick. So I continue playing the bold, fearless, idiot ninja, just so they never expect how much more i am, and how most of the time, if i want something to happen, i have the skill to make it so.

Anyways, of course we succeeded our mission, then we got the fuck out of la, to many people were knowing who we were, and asking us to do shit, well im done, tired for once, guess ill nap on this plane.

End audio log
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <03-11-17/1230:39>
   How the time seemed to pass quickly by. He'd been learning a lot more about his abilities, getting more comfortable while keeping it hidden. He got a particular kick out of tinkering with drones, making them more...  homey. Unable to put a finger on why it felt right, but something about adjusting some of the bits and bolts, soldering a bit here and there on the circuit board, it was like putting up a photo in a new apartment. He did a bit of that too, getting himself a new place. Still not exactly ninja-proof, but to turn a phrase, build a ninja-proof apartment and you just get better ninja.

   Feet up on his desk, lighting a cigarette, he tried to put the time into words. For all his brilliant mind and memory, he couldn't spin a good yarn with a team of old fishermen and a loom. Though that'd probably be an interesting story in itself. Glancing over his desk, AR paperwork stacked like cordwood, he knew it'd been productive. A lot of the usual background checks, those were the plain bread of the profession. Not very tasty but filling enough. A bit of stakeouts, dreary work but it was the covered expenses that perked it up. Get'em to pony up for those and it's real coffee and decent takeout.

   He'd taken a few courses in mechanics, got a bit of a new upgrade, took a couple refresher lessons in psych...  There was that incident with a particularly unethical pusher, but people disappear all the time. Call it urban renewal. When part of your job is finding where things get hidden, you pick up a few tricks. Another perk of being independent, he mused. No need to file a report, no one asking where he went, and no one trying to berate him for having an admittedly corkscrew sort of conscience. They weren't all like that, his mind retorted. That's true he thought, there were... are... a lot of good folk wearing the badges, getting the steady paycheck and trying to get by. The problem was that when you bent down to offer someone a hand up, one of the few bad ones stepped on your back to climb higher then tried to order you to stop just in case another bad one would do the same to get at them. For all the nasty work corps could pull, it all seemed to stem from that. Get a bunch of generally good and well-minded folk together, and one piece of drek, and soon that drek will be in charge because they refused to not be and the rest will do as they're told because they see everyone else doing so and they don't want to be the slothole standing out and making things worse. Doing evil not because they want to, but because they don't refuse.

   The door swung open, shattering his navelgazing. Janine stepped in with some soykaf. “If you get mud on the desk, you're cleaning it.” He chuckled, putting his feet down. “Fair point. Anything pressing today?” She handed him the cup then shrugged. “Nothing new. Not much old either. If it stays this quiet I may have to get a day job to keep busy.” That personality upgrade was worth it. Granted he still felt a bit weird about taking over to practice piloting, but it kept her from pushing his uncanny valley button. “Things'll pick up, they always do. Enjoy the times you aren't being shot at.” She'd been developing fairly well in blending in. It'd taken some time to adjust settings, tweak appearances, and give enough flaws. Damn I-Dolls were built too perfect, even with all the nuyen he sunk in for realistic features. The ultra self-conscious and egotistical might try to look that perfect, and the believed usual “use” for them might lean towards stupid-flawless and too-hot-to-be-real, but he wasn't going to be holding to all that. She was cute in that tsundere librarian sort of look, not the usual porn starlet that draws all eyes in any room. Some adjustments to scents and body movement finished up the outward signs, and he was letting her personality develop naturally. She knew she was a drone, but he made sure to treat her more like another sentient and wanted her to act like one. The noizquitos were like pets, while she and the sprites seemed more like family. Simple-minded family, and admittedly non-corporeal in regards to the sprites, but then wasn't the mind just a very complex bit of circuitry?

   “Those things will kill you, you know.” He'd completely forgotten about his cigarette, stubbing out the already-dead smoke. “Between bullets, spirits, and emphysema, I might as well make it a sporting chance. My gut tells me the former will be coming up very soon. Only question is who's going to make the first call.” “What makes you think that?” “Let's say now and then I catch a wave of inspiration from narrative causality. Let's make sure everything's stowed away, who knows where we might end up traveling to or what we'll need.” Janine tilted her head slightly, one of those human quirks that people don't often notice except in absence. “I'm going too?” “Of course. It'll be a learning experience. Just try not to pick up too many bad habits, be polite, and what's rule one?” “I am not a thing.” He nodded. “Good.”
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <05-23-17/0233:10>

   Bill took a bit of what little free time he had while researching... well, frakking everything really, and went through some of the vid and photos taken through the incidents even back from the start. He wasn't sure what to call it, mentally, but 'Deep Green' just sounded too much like some orc porn to take seriously. With a bit of help from Janine and Algernon, he scrubbed them as best he could to avoid direct incrimination for him or the others. Voicetracks removed, faces and bodies cut out or garbled if that wasn't an option without screwing up the context. A real pro might be able to crack it, there are never guarantees, but thems the breaks.

   News would scoff at it or slap it into some tabloid, anywhere else and it might see daylight but would be just another tin hat piece. But if JackPoint picked it up, it'd get sifted through, torn to pieces, and any grains of truth would sieve into the public. Not the major stuff, but enough little bits to get attention. More eyes would watch for signs, at least. With a sigh acknowledging that it sounded a little short of the mad ramblings from those books, he slapped it all together and shot it off to Zed with a request to get it to someone at or close to JackPoint.

<<ORIGIN UNSPECIFIED>>
<<MESSAGE BEGINS>>

   Greetings JackPoint;

Call me Gumshoe.

   You don't know me, but you all are aware enough not to trust most people you do know so we're on good footing already. I admit I'd love to join your group and share (and receive) what help and advice I can, but that's normal business and right now my business is anything but. I've got data on Tempo, and it's led into some extra danger. I'm offering up what I've got, scrubbed for personal security, in the hope that one of you folks might have some insight. At worst, to share as a warning in case similar things start showing up elsewhere. I can't guarantee any of this might be verifiable elsewhere, but I'm sure that won't stop anyone. I'll dump all the core data first, you can read on from there if you feel the need.

<<Numerous files attached>>

   Starting with Tempo;
   You all know it. Whatever you think about it, you're aware of it. Here's the More You Know bits.

   It was previously manufactured solely by this woman <<image inserted>>, Graciela Riveros. She supposedly is (or was) the only one to know just how to get the “secret ingredient' processed right. That is <<image inserted>> this plant, [Name here, I forget]. It had been grown in a very secure magical alcara [check name/spelling], which was located at roughly these GPS coordinates outside the tiny town of Santa Isobel Do Rio Negro. Not likely still there; if anyone opts to check I'd be curious to confirm they relocated. Magical checkout doesn't show her as active, but there are strong suspicions that something else is in her head at times. After some things went FUBAR with the Cartels, she hopped to the employ/protection of the David cartel, specifically Ding Ramos. He's the head of Tempo now, as far as my intel goes.

   As for the plant itself, it is magical. Perhaps a specific strain, or due to location of origin, not sure, though further evidence leads that the plant originated elsewhere. Concern over the treatment and care of the plant suggest that it is somehow tied to a spirit; given the suspicions around Graciela and outside influence, I personally believe there is some sort of debt or pact involved. That only makes the next bits worse if so, as Tempo plays a huge part.

   Spoiler warning: I'm including some books that are best read not at all unless you can mentally picture a collab between MC Escher and HR Giger and think it's perfectly normal city panorama. It made my brain hurt and I can usually write off extra-strange magical drek with the mantra “dot dot dot Dragons.”

   <<Numerous files attached>>

   These are files relating to a murder investigation. As previous, they have been edited to try and avoid compromising certain individuals, but others can look after their own hoop.

   Death cults, dark summonings, drugs, sex and stupid rich folk. Sound like an old David Lynch trid? Were it so simple. You've got a lot of the data right there, but here's the rundown as it seems.

   Stupid rich folk (here played by Mr. Roger Carlyle and company) decide to think they're some sort of steampunk world explorers, and hike off to Egypt because why not? One, I repeat ONE of them was an actual Egyptologist, none others showed any more credentials than a wallet and YOLO mentality. Not hard to dig up general info on the Carlyle Expedition. Though it sounds like there was an extra guest never mentioned; still trying to get more data on her, no news makes mention of her or what happened to her. What little I do have is included.

   No mention of what if anything they might have found, but from information in one of the books sent back from Roger to his sister, specifically the text 'My Life as a God,' from one real drekked-up SOB, it likely has something to do with the 'Dark Pharaoh' mentioned. Might sound strange, but I didn't edit the image of the black winged serpent-ish thing and those are mentioned, so take it as you will.

   Anyways, while I don't have the specific timetable, it looks like they got into Egypt sometime around early May 2067. Whatever they might've found, by July 3rd they stated they'd be heading towards East Africa. They arrived in Mombasa around July 24th, and at least Carlyle, Penhew and Huston were seen as they met with Undersecretary Whittingdon, before heading towards Nairobi the next day. No mention of the rest of the expedition party. Last reported sighting of the expedition was August 3rd leaving Nairobi to the northwest, into the Great Rift Valley. End of their journey here, reportedly. This might all seem like side nonsense, so let's tie things together.

   Lots of little bits about death cults and dark entities, all leading towards Egypt and mentions of a “bloody tongued god.” Proof these cults are operating around the world, in some fashion, and got critters unlike anything I heard of in parazoology. Old books with a lot of nonsense, but they all tie in with either some sort of 'Black Man' entity or a furred toad. The Pnakotic calls it Xatogia, the Livre calls it Sathojue, both very phonetically similar with different pronunciations. Both described in terms that make it sound like it was quite a messy eater, neh? It and this 'Black Pharaoh' could be different, seem different but both pretty screwed up. Almost hope they're the same, because otherwise...

   Here's the big tie-in. Got good reason to think Tempo's active ingredient is tied to one or both these things. No solid evidence, but the timings match up, the cult/cults use these critters, and they've been raising the dead in the most literal sense. Again, vid. At their meets, they're so hopped up on Tempo that if it were lead you could write with them, and it seems like whatever bigger spirit is behind it gets a free pass into the user. Anyone who remembers UB has heard about the drive some things have for hosts, and anyone who knows shedim understands the dangers of leaving empty meat lying around. None of those are stupid creatures, and I think something, maybe one of them or something else entirely, got Tempo out there to widen the pool. It'd been hiding before, but Carlyle stumbled and kicked over the (pardon the PTSD) anthill, and now it's out. It isn't obvious because it can hunt the uninitiated, those too stupid to realize they're opening an undefended backdoor into their mind and body.

   OR I'm totally wrong and the Azzies, via Ramos, are not pushing the biggest death cult designer drug meant to pry open unwitting victim's bodies for spirits to do whatever atrocities they might happily be instructed or requested of in exchange for more victims. I'd love proof I'm wrong. I'm sure you know how to find me.

   Do with this what you will, but I hope that it preps someone else for what they might run into out there. If this is going to be a thing, I'd rather folks be ready instead of surprised.

   “Fear is inevitable, I have to accept that, but I cannot allow it to paralyze me.' - Isabel Allende

<<MESSAGE ENDS>>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <05-25-17/0224:03>
<<return message>>

Access to Jackpoint approved.

Abide by all rules and play nice!

<<encrypted access code follows>>

-----------------------------------------
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <04-03-18/1943:50>
Jan's conspiracy map jpg upload

Link:  https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1xJriNLifXOEWJec7N9GrRPShAieMEnvTpC5geLwOM9E/edit?usp=sharing
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <04-03-18/2305:31>
Jan's fourth initiation

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iwiTap6GjUgPTLwgiBV31u4E0EQEqmH_yOZGALbdppA (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iwiTap6GjUgPTLwgiBV31u4E0EQEqmH_yOZGALbdppA)

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <04-05-18/1611:14>
>>nice work Jan, 2 bonus karma points!<<
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <04-05-18/1614:31>
Gear! It's arrived via Kond Orchid shipping courtesy of the Red Dragons. At first you are bit concerned things have gone missing but on closer inspection you realize it's just all been carefully repacked by whomever to make it more compact and less obvious. Including that damned painting, it's been taken out of it's frame and rolled up! At least you don't have to worry about "falling into it" while it's rolled up. You think. Maybe.
Title: From Clive to Atlantean Foundation
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <04-23-18/1352:06>
ATLANTEAN FOUNDATION, 3:19 AM.

"Getting sloppy.  Took it for granted.  Gonna pay."  Jan had been working with English speaking teammates for long enough that he was starting to berate himself in their language.  But he was wrong- he didn't pay.  One splinter of the frag grenade worked its way between his gauntlet of armor sleeve, causing a painful bleeding wound, but that was all.  Damn lucky, once again, but Jan knew better than to rely too heavily on luck.

*******  CLIVE EXPEDITION, 2:30 AM.

The interrogation of suspects was making lurching, halting progress at the Clive expedition dig. Jan was trying every angle he could think of to get Clive to talk- the previous two interrogations had him in an uncharacteristically optimistic mood. 

First, extracting Winfield had been the easiest task in months.  Wyt’s natural stealth, levitation ability, and the invisibility spell had gotten him into and out without an alarm being raised.  And even though Winfield had quickly suicided, the team had learned some vital facts:  Winters was with the cult, Winters had participated in stealing the Nitocris mummy, and there was no additional security at the site to speak of.   The second abduction was just as smooth, if a little less fruitful- Garner was as innocent as driven snow, an honest archeologist who liked playing in the dirt and digging up his pathetic historical trinkets. 

Extracting Clive had been slightly trickier, since he was a mage, who had raised his own wards and spirits.  But the choice of Wyt to do the extraction proved inspired.  He made a tough call- keep his buffing spells up or drop them to sneak into the ward?- and gambled successfully, using his active defenses to quickly dispatch the spirit that appeared to guard his sleeping master.  Interrogating Clive was trickier, but at least partial progress was happening.  Tag teaming all the questioning revealed a few facts:  Clive wasn’t surprised by human sacrifice and sex cults, but was surprised that it was Gavigan doing them in England (perhaps Clive was used to Africans doing it in Africa?).   Clive didn’t know much about specific cultists, but routinely flinched at the mention of certain names (Black Pharoah, Nodens).  Ten minutes of threatening and cajoling  eventually reduced Clive to a babbling mess, but he genuinely didn’t seem to know anything.  Olof, who had no compunctions about killing a foe in hand-to-hand combat, was reluctant to put the screws onto him.  Clive was able to figure out that the threats of kneecapping him or breaking his fingers were not about to be carried out.  Jan made a mental note:  “Since Olof can’t conceal his emotions from an awakened person, he is no credible threat in these circumstances unless he’s genuinely pissed off.  Looks like I’ll nee to get my own hands dirty.”  Clive successfully fooled or resisted every one of Jan’s spells and conversational gambits.  He kept a consistent tone- I’m just an archaeologist, maybe I’m jaded to death and exploitation, but that doesn’t make me a member of the cult- both before and after being “broken”. 

Until the dramatic transformation.  Jan had been desperate, so he started naming every eldritch name.  “If you can’t help us, then unfortunately, I have strict instructions to dispose of you.”  “Help you with what?”  “Information about the Bloody Tongue God, Black Pharoah, Nephrin-Ka, Nyarlathotep, God of the Black Wind, Xatogua, Sathojue…”  Somewhere in the recitation of dark nomenclature, Clive transformed utterly.  Gone was the stuffy, condescending Oxford don.  In its place was a quasi-familiar rant.  It wasn’t as vile or threatening as typical cultist babble- apparently, no one’s organs were going to be raped- but it had other familiar themes.  “You are too late, you are all going to die, he will be reborn!” ranted Clive.  “His power is close at hand, you cannot stop him now!”  And, referring apparently to a different him:  “His knowledge is beyond you know, forces are in place to conceal his discoveries from you even as we speak!  He is dead, and you will never find out what he learned!” 

Just as Jan was starting to wonder if that was referring to Ali Khafour, Bloodhound’s voice rang out over the tac net. Instead of his usual “too tired for this shit” tone, BH sounded excited.  “Police traffic at the Atlantean Foundation.  A minor alarm.  The cops think it’s probably nothing.  But I think it’s more than a coincidence.”  And the team snapped into action, unanimously deciding to put the interrogation of Sprech and Broadmoor on hold.  Wyt agreed to drop off Clive back in his bunk where he would sleep off the toxic cocktail of stunpatch, stimpatch, and Laes.  Wyt would catch up in the second car while Icenark showed off his skills at the wheel of the rented van.  The suspension groaned and rattled, the tires squealed, the van lurched alarmingly around corners.  But Icenark drove like a champ, getting the team to the Atlantean Foundation in far less time than Gridguide said was possible.
Title: Upstairs at the Atlantean
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <04-23-18/1353:19>
ATLANTEAN FOUNDATION, 3:15 AM. 

Astral and mechanical recon were smooth and successful on approach.  Wyt spotted an awakened figure on board the vehicle on the Foundation’s roof, and Noizsquitoes confirmed it was an unmarked black chopper on the ground with rotors swirling.  The cops at the front gate were deterred by a fast-talking receptionist droid, leaving the scene clear for the team to attempt to insert.

“Looks like they’re already inside”, rumbled Olof in the dark.  “Nobody is picking up artifacts at 3 in the morning.  That’s got to be a team in there.”  The whole group almost finished each other’s sentences:  the enemy was inside, trying to steal or destroy Ali Khafour’s notes.  There was no way to get to the roof quickly, and mechanically following the chopper would be dicey:  noizquitoes might not be able to get close enough to anchor due to the propowash, and the Pelican wouldn’t have the speed to keep up after the chopper took off.  With only Wyt’s astral projectons and spirits, astral pursuit of the chopper might end badly.   So, the only way up to the roof was to start by going inside.

DEM had a surprisingly easy time cracking the host.  Jan had been worried, due to his earlier fumbling when attempting to steal a bread truck. But he was warmed up and ready this time.  He was into the host and spoofing cameras in less than five seconds, and the team swarmed the door.  Oddly, though, no one bothered to suggest using the Foundation’s cameras to look for resistance.  The whole team just sort of assumed that there would not be any meat on the ground floor. 

Jan and Wyt, with a quick nod, made their first bad call of the night.  They both dropped their spells in order to penetrate the building’s ward without delay or chance of tripping any alarm.  But literally five feet away from the back door of the foundation was a heavily armed and armored guard, noshing on a peach.  Olof was the first to react- like a bolt of cyberlightning, he had bowled his own team aside and grappled the defender.  Jan followed up, grabbing the gun and putting eyes on the doors into the kitchen while trying to get his magic back online.  The rest of the team piled in, while Olof played “Hulk vs. Loki” with the disarmed guard.  His armor was obviously first rate, which allowed him to survive the pounding for about two more seconds than most folks would have. 

But that was not the only defender on the ground floor.  Due to uncoordinated advances (the tac net kept blinking on and off- BH was doing his best to keep some enemy hacker away from the team’s net), Icenark got lit up hard by a blast of gunfire when a heqvily armed troll popped out of a siide door.  DEM, having beendropped like a sack of potateoes, went back into meatspace and quickly hacked another attacker’s assault rifle.  This attacker, a heavily cybered Orc, got in a lucky hit on Wyt with his arm spurs.  Wyt was having a really bad night, trying to split his attention between hasty casts of his buffs and the urgent need to slice up the three opposing runners.   Bleeding from his ears and nose revealed to the team that his attempts to control mystic energy were not going well.   

The team downed all their foes quickly, but not before Wyt got rattled hard by a flashbank that detonated litearlly in his face. Being caught flat-footed was rare for the preternaturally graceful elf.  But when dodging failed, his lightweight armor was unfortunately unable to absorb enough of the blast, and he flopped to the ground as gracelessly as DEM had done seconds before.

Jan felt good about three things, however.  First, a stimpatch brought the elf assassin back to combat effectiveness in just a few seconds, as Icenark’s first aid kit patched him up.  Jan’s own stunbolts had been effective (along with a quick smack in the face from Blue Fang) in downing the massive troll.   And, best of all, DEM was now able to sit at the controls of the Foundation’s security apparatus, giving the team a massive advantage. 

ATLANTEAN FOUNDATION, 17TH FLOOR, 3:19 AM. 

But that overconfidence proved VERY costly.   With the tacnet flickering on and off, with some heavy resistance out of the way, and with the natural miscommunications of bringing on board a newbie, the group failed to do a thorough recon of the 17th floor.  They had spotted a sneaky, strange dwarf in Khafour’s office, but failed to check for bodyguards.  So, like sitting ducks, they were ambushed hard at the elevator exit. 

“Fucking amateurish” was Jan’s first thought.  Rather than blaming himself for assuming things, he chose to get mad at DEM for not looking at other cameras.  The two mechs at the elevator doors went down fast, but they surved their function- slow down the group’s exit and leave them in position for heavy fire from the six-limbed shotgun wielding merc around the corner.

Even that would have been survivable if Olof had been the only target, but Icenark howled as lead penetrated his armor for the second time.  Olof’s answering hail of gunfire knocked Spider-man off his feet, but the infiltrating enemy dwarf took perfect advantage of the friction and delays.

The incoming munition swelled in Jan’s vision until it looked more like the Death Star than a hand grenade.  Diving for cover behind a cubicle, hoping to hell that there was enough distance and enough office furniture to keep him alive, Jan started mentally swearing.  Another part of his mind observed with dry amusement that he was berating himself in English.

“If we survive this”, Jan promised himself, “I will have words with this DEM about proper battlefield communication and recon.” 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <04-24-18/1157:15>
xclnt aar! +2 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <05-16-18/1014:36>
Another nightmare. He sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, heart pounding and the room swimming into focus. Where was he again? Who was he?

After a short while he gave up and looked at the AR feed in the upper right corner if his vision. It read "Cando Lolrissian" right next to today's date. Well at least that answered his question of who he was for today.

More troubling was a small flashing icon right next to today's identity. That was the team's tac-net, and it was offline, which was troubling. It never went offline.

He pinged Jan to see what the sit-rep was, on the off-chance something had gone wrong. No response. That wasn't like Jan. So Tog/Cando (Tondo?) pinged Wyt, when he got no response he knew something was up.

Shit, the entire team was not responding and checking their GPS history they had all gone offline at the same time just south of Cairo. The tac-net's video feed stopped recording right after they enter some minor Pyramid (it certainly wasn't one of the big 3 on the main plateau).

"Maybe he should do something" he thought to himself as he remembered Cando would certainly help out his friends, if he could. At least that's how Tog remembered him acting in Cloud City, yeah Cando would help Han so Tog should help Jan, that makes perfect sense!

Swinging a furred kaftan around his shoulders Tondo strapped on his kata slides and various and sundry other concealed weapons before pulling up an AR flight feed from Ataturk airport and booking the earliest flight to Cairo. Tondo would figure it out, he always did. And if he couldn't, well he'd be someone else tomorrow, and he'd certainly figure it out.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <05-21-18/2007:22>
   What waits past the fire, once you've jumped out of the frying pan? Seems they're all about to find out. Something about the name of the destination had been gnawing at him, along with the general 'we can handle everything' vibe practically radiating off some of the team. Why bother with plans, just wing everything and if it doesn't work, shoot it. That's always worked before, neh? But it's one thing that it has worked, doesn't mean it always will. The hubris has been building too long and the payout will be impressive.

   Only making matters worse is that it seems the prime target is going to be the one who is most necessary as they start on their travel through the Astral Sea. Jan's experience with using magic seems eclipsed only by his willful ignorance of it, putting Bill in mind of some of those simple drones used in chemical factories if said drone could talk. “I've mixed these things for years, why bother wondering how they work? You're just paranoid.” Then a spill happens.

   It was really vexing. It seemed like the only one in the team that should have the wherewithal to try and make sense of what was going on felt it was a complete waste of time and was also the de facto leader of the group. At least when Jiao was around Bill could try and bounce ideas of either of them and, given how often they argued, one of them would seem to listen to Bill if only to rebut the other one. Now it was just Jan, leading an unexpected and wholly unprepared group into an expedition through uncharted magical territory that he knew nothing about, had no interest in understanding, and rebuked every question or hypothesis with some variant on 'I've not known what I'm doing for years and you haven't, so shut it.'

   He'd have to take some soundings, but things were definitely getting rough in the group. For all the friction between himself and Jan, all the times Jan shot down Bill's theories, the track record shows. Jan rarely got anything wrong because he wouldn't make an attempt to answer, while Bill more often than not was well-placed on the board if not always hitting bulls-eye. Tempo opening people to astral takeover? Check. The cults being (possibly competing) branches of the same crazy entity? Check. Shambling zombies? Check. The list could go on.

   Recalling the zombies stopped the train of thought though. A quick mental flip-through of one of the books they gathered quickly checked one more box of 'I called it' in Bill's list; Desh'Veroi. Home of the Shedim, according to Aetherology. Son of a...  Time to warn the others. Jan wouldn't bother to listen.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <05-22-18/1848:41>
xclnt post +1 karma to Bloodhound!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <05-23-18/1039:49>
Cando had made into Cairo without too much hassle. The customs agent had bought his “Corporate Security Specialist on vacation to see the Desert Wars” story without a second thought. This sync’d nicely with his Corporate Bodyguard license enabling him to bring his pistols into the country without additional paperwork. Good old Cando, such a charmer!

After checking into a nice hotel overlooking the Nile he got right to work reviewing tac-net foots, GPS logs and text chat between the team. It was quickly apparent that they had spent some significant time narrowing their search down to the Clive Expedition and the Atlantean Foundation’s late Dr. Ali Kafour.

Early the next day Dan Folo took over from Cando and began digging into the rest of the mountain of evidence the team had amassed across 5 months and three continents. It was slow going and Folo did not have the patience for this kind of work. So he took the rest of the day off, happy to be replaced by Data the following day.

Data was far better than Folo at this kind of work but man was he a boring bastard. Tog hated him. Was he just hating that part of himself? Fuck who cares, the guy was a know-it-all post human asshole. Come to think of it maybe he wasn’t that far from Tog after all.

After another day of cross referencing Data had managed to piece together the open ends the team hadn’t yet explored.

Omar Shakti
Nyiti of El Wasta
Something about an upcoming rite or event that Clive had mentioned under intense questioning by Jan in the back of that van.

The question remained, which lead would bring him closest to finding his friends? Before he started cracking heads and impersonating people perhaps a diversion to the Bent Pyramid where the team had disappeared might make sense?
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-04-18/1834:16>
As your devices begin to draw power from the inductive charging grid component of the matrix they become to come back online with random chirps and AR notifications. Once your Comlink turns on and make a matrix connection your inbox starts flooding your AR feed with unread messages of every sort.

Apparently you’ve been “out of plane” for the better part of a month!

Your pocket agent has already presorted the messages based upon it’s own personalized priority rules, pushing the most important ones to the top.

Right there at the top are a few messages from Deng wondering “where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” and one from Tog.

Tog seems rather perturbed and out of sorts (although admittedly you’re having a harder and harder time determining just what counts as a “normal” emotional state for him).

“Hey Omae, I noticed the tac-net went dark and you all disappeared last week. I checked with Deng and he’s almost as concerned as I am so I hopped a flight out to Cairo to check up on y’all. Couldn’t locate any of you, which is damned freaky y’a hear? So I ran back the tac-nets vid-feeds and noticed you had just hit the Atlantean Tower, the Clive Expedition and the Bent Pyramid right before you turned the lights off. So of course I though I better make sure you’re not rotting in a pit somewhere in the desert. Nothing turned up at the Bent Pyramid and after going through all your copious notes it seems the only open threads were some chap called Omar Shakti, one Nyiti of el Wassif and something about an upcoming fuck-fest gathering at the end of the month. “Omar” sounds like a fun guy so I’m going to go check him out, who knows maybe he’ll be able to point me towards you folks. And If can’t, well mebbe Shomar Makti is another worthy persona to add to my quiver. Ping me if you get this!”
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <06-10-18/1440:23>
In the shower after a long trip through the planes and a short trip into desperation, sickness, and poverty, Jan is reflective. 

"Am I any different now that I have been through that?  I have never into the astral traveled.  I have used mana for my whole life but never where it comes from seen.  Or does it truly originate there, but rather flowing from another ur-quelle?"

The floor creaked as Olof paced outside, waiting for his turn in the shower.  Jan planned to test the reserves of this rented place's water heater.  Never had he felt so filthy.  What was most upsetting, he wondered?

"Was it the cannibal lizard, or the way my teammates her encouraged? 
Was it the time spent sweaty in the desert, or clammy in the swamp?
Smelling that cargo ship and making do with a bucket of fresh water bathing for?
Getting spattered by black goo by the bodies of gremlins?
Or" (shuddering, as Tommy's voice kept whining, pleading, cajoling, and exhorting in his mind) "the shock of having my power stone invaded?" 

A truly upsetting voyage.  But he was glad, as he lathered his fingertips to shampoo for the third time, that he still had all ten.  "Losing a couple of guns to the lizard was nothing compared to the price the others paid have."

Pondering the future, he steeled his resolve.  "If mentioning Nitocris was the only thing that made the Black Pharaoh threatened feel, then that a clear signpost is.  This is the forward path.  This is how we him weaken.  We find Nitocris and prevent the ressurection.  Yes." 

Sighing with regret, he turned off the hot water.  Olof's turn.  Jan went grimly into the living room, hoping that meditation would be enough to make Tommy's nattering voice subside. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-10-18/1508:28>
<xclnt +1 karma!>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-14-18/1110:54>
As your matrix connectivity resumes your newsfeeds fill up once more with content tailored to your preferences collected during the weeks you were "out of plane".

Among the dross a few things stand out for DEM and Bloodhound:

item 1):
Tragedy at the Mosque of Tulun
Six of Ibn Tulun’s most respected scholars died last night in the collapse of the ceiling of their study room.
The cause of these tragic deaths is being investigated. Still missing, but presumed dead, is Nessim Efti. The nazir of Ibn Tulun, Achmed Zehavi, survived, but was taken to hospital in shock. The collapse occurred in a building adjacent to Ibn Tulun itself; the historic structure is undamaged.

item 2): a Kond Orchid notification that your package was delivered to it's recipient 1 week ago. This is the tracking number for your missing mask!

item 3):
A text from an unknown comlink number dated @12 hours after Tog noted he was going to "have a chat with Omar".
Gotta make this quick, I think he's cracked my masking. The old biddy@Clive's expo thinks "something ancient and unfathomable" was involved in the theft of the Nitocris mummy. She babbled a bit about "the resurrection of the Queen" and how it "requires the Crown of Nitocris, the Necklace of Nitocris, and the Girdle of Nitocris." She thinks placing these three items on the mummy, while conducting the proper ritual, will raise her from the dead. Like that's fragging possible. She's a nut. kk i'm outta here, that dude is creeping me out.

item 4):
One of your search agents must have been left running, scripted to search through the late Dr. Ali Kafour's notes, while you ventured through the metaplanes. It's produced a screed of various snippets of varying interest but one seems particularly relevant.
In a sidebar note on the Black Pharaoh Kafour speculates: "that while a resurrected Nitocris might be a deadly foe, her true significance may be that efforts toward the return and empowerment of the Black Pharaoh are underway—a vast activation of long-dormant forces, of which Nitocris is but an important element. I don't think Nodens would appreciate that."

item 5):
A Jackpointer going by the handle of "NextDayAir" (Next for short) has replied to your post seeking information on the missing artifact you shipped out of London.
"Hey Omae, I did some digging in Kond Orchid's shipping records and found nothing about this shipment, which was odd as your tracking number looked legit. So I hacked one of their RFID package waypoints at Heathrow, et voila! I found a record of the package getting rerouted and renumbered (someone hacked the tracking number!) to be sent to a P.O. Box in Geneva. Once I had the new tracking number it was cake to find. Turns out whoever hacked the system didn't think it through all the way. When they changed the tracking number it farked up the system and it's been in holding pending customs inspection at the Swiss border for a couple of months. Seeing as you seemed pretty desperate to get it I changed the tracking number back. As soon as the shipping system recognized the tracking number it started re-routing it back to it's original destination. I'll take those nuyen now chummer! Out!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-15-18/1408:43>
Waiting for you in your hotel room is a Kond-Orchid package holding the mask Jan shipped out to his german Talismonger friend back in March.

The mask is carefully wrapped in a dark, organic cotton sack-cloth with a hand-written note (in the Talismonger's handwriting) noting the following:

"This is not a regular focus or other magic trinket. But then you knew that, which is why you sent it to me. It would appear to be related to some kind of powerful free spirit that goes by the name of Nodens. I think it's related to summoning ritual. Not that I've actually tried it. It does seem rather "non-standard". It would no doubt fetch a pretty price in the artifact collector's market."
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <06-18-18/1556:49>
Basic info on Nodens:

And upon dolphins' backs was balanced a vast crenelate shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of primal Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss… Then hoary Nodens reached forth a wizened hand and helped Olney and his host into the vast shell.

—H. P. Lovecraft, "The Strange High House in the Mist"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nodens_(Cthulhu_Mythos) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nodens_(Cthulhu_Mythos))
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <10-28-18/1216:00>
The aftermath:

The team has exited the acropolis and is currently mounting up in your two vehicles as hundreds of cultists stream away from the Giza Plateau in disarray. Looking down on the scene from your overhead drones it reminds you of what happens when you turn on the kitchen lights in the middle of the night and all the cockroaches desperately run for cover in every direction.

While you take some satisfaction in having thwarted the resurrection of Nitocris you know this is only one piece of a large and complicated puzzle. It's hard to shake the feeling that whatever blow you dealt to this world-wide conspiracy is at worst only a temporary setback. There's just so many of these slitches, all over the place apparently. You know as soon as you leave Cairo whatever remnants are left will just reform like the loose sands of the desert when you pull a stone from their clutches.

It's clear Jiao and Tog are rattled and spooked by their experience in the leech pit, for once both the faces sit quietly staring into the middle distance. Tog's cockiness is completely absent. Dem seems on the verge of losing it completely, spouting a non-stop torrent of invectives; "what the fucking fuck was that fucking shit?". Standing out from the rest of the nervous and rattled team are Wyt and Olof. Wyt sits quietly with a shit-eating grin across his face that just screams "I just killed a slotting god". Olof's demeanor is altogether darker; he seems to be counting quietly to himself, it takes you a minute to realize he's tallying his "score" of cultists that fell to his minigun and boots. For some reason that seems almost as bad as your entire experience....

Jiao's commlink pings, it's Deng:
"I'll take your full report when you have more time but right now we have to get you out of Cairo. Your efforts have poked the ants nest and right now it's imperative you don't become caught in the aftermath. Luckily we have an asset in-country who can help with your extraction. She will meet you at Ming's Exotics in the Khan el-Khalili weapons market in one hour.
Your passcode is "Might makes right", the response is "Feng Shui is preferrable"."
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <11-03-18/2032:23>
Jan is wiping his hands on another repeatedly and on his jacket.  He plucks at his skin as if trying to get off something sticky that just won't give.  His eyes stare blankly most of the time, but sometimes he fixes his attention on something that isn't there and grins maniacally.  He hasn't taken his hand off of his gun since the group left the presence of Nitocris.

Hearing Jiao's message, he finally speaks.  "An hour to get out from Cairo?  That were too long."  He coughs, and it turns into an ascending giggle.  "To shoot a god, yes?  How many can that say?  Or beckon."  He nods in agreement with himself, not noticing that his English has gone from shaky to shitty.  He finally eye contact with the others in the van- seeing human contact or reassurance perhaps.  "It all happened- you are there were.  With me, with us, all together, we took the tooth of a god and placed it in the eye of an evil god. An evil god.  An evil GOD."  He's rambling, but at least he is paying attention to the other people in the vehicle now.   

Dem tries to rally his courage and preen a little, hoping that his teammates have overlooked his cowardly crawl down the corridor.  "Damn right man," he agrees.  "We made the big ugly go bye bye."  He tries to high five Olof, who merely gives him the stinkeye while cleaning his minigun.  Recovering gracelessly, Dem pretents he just needed to adjust his goggles. 

Wyt's more ready to celebrate than Olof, it would seem, for he chimes in.  "That's right.  I assassinated a god.  Tip of the spear and all that, great work team, sure, but yeah, it was mostly me, right?"  Wyt flexes and tries to check out Gingzan via the tacnet, so she won't see that he's trying to impress her or maybe just to provoke her.  But she has closed her eyes, trying to cleanse her mind of the toxic echoes of the cultist tortures.  "Right", he grins smugly.  For once, no one on the team is arguing.

A silence falls, as the group all nurse their battered psyches.  Of them all, only Bill seems nonplussed.  Olof seems more homicidal than ever, Dem more craven, Tog more out to lunch.  Jiao and Jan, perhaps affected by the background count or seared by the unholy images lingering in their third eyes, seem fragile to the point of mentally breaking.  Wyt's egotism could well be an attempt to cover up his own feelings of contamination, corruption, and vulnerability. 

Only Bill seems unmoved.  He's still cranky about all the nasty shit that he's going to have to get out of his trenchcoat, and griping about the expense of replacing the noizquitoes left behind covering the group's retreat.  How, Jan thinks, could he be unimpressed by the transformations and transgressions that were encountered beneath the bent pyramid?  The disgusting lack of humanity exhibited by the hundreds of citizens recruited to the cutl.  The sickening, awesome power of the circle of mages conducting the ceremony.  The profoundly creepy menace of the leeches in the pit. The terror of stumblinb through the dark, dropping bodies into endless crevasses, the shock of colliding with otherworldly guards,  the horror of seeing humans transform to tentacled, writhing spirits.  How anyone who had seen such things remain the same person?  Jan thinks it's impossible for Bill to be exactly as he was. 

But then again, he's from LA, bitch. 

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <11-05-18/2052:01>
xclnt post +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <01-07-19/1312:01>
Quite an adventure getting from Cairo to Shanghai:  spirits materializing aboard a commercial jet, attacking the passengers, at the same time as neutralizing the pilots and destroying 2 of the 3 engines!  A few tense seconds but they were no match for Olof and a few magical blasts.  Luckily, Icenark and Bloodhound, from both sides of the controls, nursed the ailing craft to an emergency landing at an old military field at Al-Jouf.  The landing strip was amazingly long for such a low population region... and the team didn't even need it.  "We make this look easy", though Jan once again.

Following all the threads persistently was once again the key to success.  The team knew that Ho Fong Imports was a likely cult transshipment point from data seized in previous raids.  The guards around the place, plus the fact that the local triads knew nothing about the criminal enterprises within, made it an easy call to hit the warehouse.  It paid off three ways.  First, the defenders were worthless until they surrendered themselves to possession by the "Bloated Woman", previously mentioned in other cult texts.  Second, more shipping records and artifacts, unambiguously culty.  And finally, missile parts.

What, what?  Missile parts?  What the hell is a death cult doing with a contintental-ranged rocket?  We don't know, but we share our suspicions with an agent of "The Big Guy"- what if the cult is trying to do another Feuerschwinge? Also, they might want to airburst a hit of tempo to take over an entire city at once, launch something small into orbit, or possibly just nuke someone.  Anything goes with these bastards.  Got to keep our eyes on that.

Following up other informational leads, we track down plenty of evidence that Jack Brady is alive and is continuing to escape repeated hit attempts by the cult.  The elf face is particularly successful at charming the locals.  Makes sense, this is her home turf, and this is her skillset.  But then she pulls this incredibly wacky long shot.  Did she have a hunch?  Is she just lucky?  Jan thinks that he would never have done this in a million years:

She just plain announces to one of the researchers that we are the bitter enemies of a death cult whose local face is the Bloated Woman.  To somebody who's been acting dodgy as hell.  Jan fully expected a floor drop into a pit of zombies, or a force 7 spirit to occupy the oldster and swallow Jiao's face.  Instead, we gain a magical ally and a mundane one, tout sweet.  Jan makes a mental note to tell her to check in before following crazy hunches- this one worked out, but the last wild gamble got her tied to a stake above a pit of awakened leeches, front row center to the resurrection of a death god's main squeeze.  With explicit instructions from the Big Guy that rescuing her was a distant second priority.

But now we've found Brady and the other half of the seal.  Brady and his pal Mu Hsien do a victory dance, convinced that we "have the bastards, we have them!"   We know exactly when their next major ritual will be and where.  We know how to construct the great seal.  Mu Hsien promises to build the "eye of light and darkness" to take over the power generated in the nasty ritual and use it to seal the portal against further incursion by these death gods.

But Jan isn't so sure.  Does Hsien plan to actually bring another god in instead of the cultists' god?  The ritual to make the "eye" sounds just as evil as anything the cultists have done up til now.  He's certainly acting dodgy as hell about sharing his research with the team.  Is there anyone else we can check with to verify Hsien's bona fides?  Is this, gulp, worth an audience with the Big Guy himself, or possibly with Nodens? 

As the team gears up to hit Ho Fong's mansion, uneasy suspicions linger in Jan's mind.  If only everything were a simple straight up fight, with life or death a clear criterion for victory. 

And, jan thinks, I STILL need to get this damn vermin Imp out of my power focus.  In the back of his mind, Tommy thirsts for blood, and power, and giggles in a creepy fashion. 
 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-07-19/1346:52>
nice, +1 karma!

FYI your en route to Ho Fong's Mansion, you already raided his warehouse.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <01-20-19/1210:04>
Thanks- fixed it.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <01-20-19/1211:50>
What makes a runner run?  Here's one story, the story of a manaslinging loner who is getting tired of being a loner. 

Born 2031, during the Euro wars.  Jan’s father was a russian human soldier who raped his mother, a German human soldier.  Birth name:  Karl Krundt.  An identical twin, Rudi. 

The twins were raised by their single mother in the highly metaracist state of Westphalia.  She was largely rejected from society for the crime of bearing Dwarven children.

Jan and Rudi are scrappy street kids, frequently kicked out of school for fighting to defend themselves and each other. Their mother works at minimum wage jobs and is often fired on dubious pretenses.   

2044 Routine testing for magical talent in school revels that Jan has magical talent.  After a couple of bad conversations with recruiters, Jan chooses not to pursue a corporate future.  Due to the alliance of religion, racism, and mainstream government in Westphalia, the government’s track to legal magedom is also not an option.   Corporations mark him down in a book to look up again in six or seven years. 

2050 Jan’s mother dies of a treatable illness- she was kept out of the hospital by metaracists on a flimsy pretext. 

2052 Corporate recruiters try again, but Jan is too prickly and stubborn. 

2052 Jan runs off to join a foreign legion.  He eventually winds up serving with a mostly-Kurdish militia paid by Austria, (Austria pays them mostly to piss off Turkey).  Rudi goes to Berlin to seek his fortune.

2053 Jan befriends Medya Hala in the militia. .

2056 Jan and Rudi fight in Constantinople against the bugs. Jan is traumatized, acquiring an irrational deep hatred of shapeshifters (as well as a rational hatred of bug spirits).  After cursory treatment for mental illness, Jan is released.  He quickly resigns from the militia.

2056 Jan’s paperwork is lost in a bureaucratic fuckup.  He is declared a noncitizen/nonperson and has to try to get home illegally on foot thru the wild magical areas of southeast Europe.

2057 Jan is taken in by Roma.  Since leaving the militia he has lost 35 pounds of body weight but has learned rudimentary counterspelling.  He has also gotten very good at moving silently, and he always- always- has one hand on his AK-98. 

2058-2064 Jan’s magical talents are developed by the Roma in Bulgaria and Romania.  Jan pays for his magical tuition by providing security and muscle for Roma shenanigans, at first with a gun and then eventually with magic. During this time he acquires an intense hatred of dogs.  For some reason, Roma magic has a hard time fooling dogs.

After the Matrix Crash 2.0 in 2064, Jan goes to Berlin to rescue his brother Rudi from sudden crippling debt to the Mafia.  For the next few years Jan and Rudi try to make it as independent smugglers and B&E artists in Berlin.  Jan’s fixer is Jens von Hauch. 

2065-2068 they are increasingly beholden to the Vory and operate mostly within that organization.  The Vory often use them as hit men or security against the Mafia.  During this time he makes a strong connection with Katya Drdla, a talismonger in Berlin from the Czech republic. 

2069 Jan’s brother Rudi gets VITAS and becomes a ghoul.

2071 Even the Vory can no longer support Jan’s habit of dismembering fallen foes and feeding the remnants to his brother. Jan tries to operate independently for a while but too many people won’t work with him.

2072 Jan works in Turkey and sends Rudi cash to buy meat.

2073 A friend of a friend lets Jan know that his skills may be in high demand in Hong Kong. Jan skulks into Bulgaria and catches a flight.  (Which brings us to the start of this forum.)
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-22-19/1226:16>
xclnt background post. +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <02-25-19/1624:38>
Shaking. Trembling. Uncertainty.

Nothing seemed real anymore. Once the group split apart from the astrologer, Jiao wanted nothing more than to shake and admit her vulnerability. Sure she made a few utterances, but she wanted nothing more than to stay in the astral explore what happened. Why was she all of a sudden blind to assensing magic on multiple times? That cabinet. It was magic, it had to be. But yet it wasn't. Sipping the wine, the rest of the group discussing plans was like background noise to her running thoughts. Jiao wanted to destroy the root cause of it.

Furthermore, her inn was just left abandoned. Who would leave such a place so abandoned? It's prime real estate for working class dock workers to get their fill. Why would a triad hit her home inn just to abandon it? Gangs usually had some sort of profit motive? Thoughts swirled in her mind as they talked about hitting the place, and in a moment of impulsiveness, Jiao decides to just pretend like she passed out and scout out the place. She was tired of these fuckers messing with her home.

---- Cut to after the raid successfully happens (one of the "down time days" in the email)

Holding onto a priceless urn, she set it on her counter. She knew some of this would probably need to be returned to the triad, but after all she was the triad now. So technically she's just keeping it safe. At least that is what she tells herself hoping the corresponding headache was just from the stress that she's endured. Aztechnology fuckers wanted her dead. Shocking. Corps have been, and always will be shit. Gangs, even despite their illegality, are generally one of the more honest groups, at least in Jiao's experience. Book in hand, she keeps flipping through pages, hoping that something pops out to her, occasionally taking breaks to explore her third eye. She knows she probably shouldn't, but she is spooked from what is going on.

--- If you allow the following

During the night of one of the one or two days, Jiao would visit the astrologer from before, wanting to initiate a trade of sorts. She cannot teach her path of the wheel, but she can teach more about the traditional arcana and how spirits work or a boost in charisma/sweet talking. In exchange for the general knowledge, she'd learn about how the shelf works. The shelf would stay with the astrologer and not leave his site, but then Jiao may get one skill rank in "Weird shelf building that is magic but not magic" or a brief introduction into this "pre fall" magic. Enough to where Jiao would know what she would need in order to build something similar or imbue an object if she had time/help. {{I'd RP this out on the datahaven if you agree.}}

--- If you don't allow the previous block

Frustrated that the astrologer said no to her attempts to learn how exactly he trapped that spirit and a night wasted, she imagines that she partied the night away at a local bar, missing her usual social haunts. The thrill of picking up a drink without paying for it. Not giving a damn if anyone saw who she was. Remarkable yet forgettable. Now none of that was a thing. The only solace she had was a glass of wine and her book and maybe some day, she could retreat to her inn when this was all over. She possibly had the nuyen for it outright. Now it's just a matter of not having the world collapse afterward. Her, her seduction mentor spirit, her buddies and the world. Who she had to admit were pretty good, even better than most elves. Using her triad contacts, she bought two more level 4 fake sins for herself, both with magic licensed. One of which would eventually be the new owner of the bar, and the other would be if all drek went sideways....again.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-25-19/1846:35>
excellent post +1 karma!

And i like your idea! We can RP it in this weekend's session.

nice one
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <03-10-19/0920:17>
-A bit of flavor for the Resonance dive to get the comm info, more to follow soonish

*Shortly before the last session, but after the hit on Ho Fongs*


   What a whirlwind... So much to follow up on, so much to think over, and not a single slotting moment to catch his breath until now. And he hardly had time for that. The wreckage was still warm, and there was a lead to chase. Thank whatever might be up there that the group wasn't keen on asking too many questions about his methods. All he had was a janky comm, a slick private messaging app, and a bunch of hopeful (and pushy) faces looking for a miracle. Quite frankly he'd have shrugged and said it's past his abilities, but...  The memory of hazy brightness all the worst for the dumpshock migraine and her headache-blurred face as he tumbled out of the van flashed in his mind. He knew where to find their answers. They were lucky he'd be going there anyways. To find answers of his own. To find her.


   As he slipped back online in both mind and body, he took a deep digital breath, taking in non-existent lungfuls of what was coded for air in the local public host. His eye opens to take in the sculpted world. People moved past, streaming by, some in custom avatars designed to catch the eye, others in the stock-image fashion or simple cut-and-paste jobs. Any other time he would take a moment to enjoy the sensations, maybe wander the digital streets and admire the iconography. But today he had an appointment with a librarian and he'd be damned if he let their not knowing about it stop him.

   Bill had walked this path so often lately it was beginning to feel eerily second nature. Even knowing this terrain was simply a beautiful lie, looking for the flaws seemed wrong. Not the normal flaws one would expect in a sort of computer-generated fantasy land; physical rules being broken, fantastical and unreal entities, or even missing or corrupted textures. Here, the flaws were more like glimpses of reality hidden beneath the surface. Once it had been a booth in a diner, what should have been a clear sensory copy job just like every other booth, smooth and comfy but this was tacky and scuffed; something too real in a land of fiction. Subtle enough that no one would really take notice, but if you knew what to look for it was as jarring as noticing a mannequin breathing. And always, the next time you looked, there would be nothing there.

   This time it seemed that something was looking out for him; just a few steps away was an ad for a local museum, some ancient art display. Some images of the paintings blinked in and out of the ad, but... yes, right there, in an old watercolor landscape with a small house in the distance. The artificial light seemed to be distorted, and as he looked closer he saw it. The two-dimensional doorway was only perhaps a few millimeters in the image but opened into a sort of three-dimensional room that looked straight out of M.C. Escher's drawings. There was movement within as well, though it was too small to see who, or what, was moving. A quick glance around confirmed that no one was paying him any heed, and after all, people logged in and out all the time. He closed his eye and mentally stepped forward.

   After feeling what he could only describe as a full-body sneeze with prolonged tingling, he opened his eyes. He was standing on one of an endless number of surfaces, all crisscrossing, spiraling and stretching off to everywhere and nowhere at once. Programs whirled past at the speed of thought, millions and millions of packets of code shifting near-imperceptibly around him, as if completely oblivious to his presence except for ensuring they moved around without hindrance. It was always an unusual feeling being here; like if one was able to step out of time and reality, just far enough to see that between each passing instant there were incalculable numbers of little workers each nudging every atom and photon into place over and over again.

   He'd always thought of this as the In-Between. Not quite his destination yet, but the right place to find it. Here, in the Matrix equivalent of a frenetic backstage to a world-sized play, he could sit quietly and watch the organized chaos. Staring off into the middle distance he could see the data flowing, and after a few minutes he could see a pattern start to emerge. As it did, he closed his eyes and could feel the pattern shift him along. Once he stopped he would open his eyes again and wait to see the new pattern, and repeat. Eventually it would take him where he needed to be.


   Eventually he felt the data tugging in every direction and knew deep down he was at the beginning of the line. He steeled his mind, bracing for the aching, armor-piercing punch to his soul that always came from crossing the Event Horizon. What would it be this time? More real-time footage of his family catching each other up on current events, dancing with perfect practice around the eldest son? Years of footage of Mel dropping in to check on his parents, answering all the idle questions because none of the important ones could be asked? Maybe this time would be all about the damage he's done of late; the final comm calls of those he's killed to their own loved ones, messages that will never be heard or replied to, microphones tapped by the Resonance itself to replay to him words told to children trying to explain why mommy or daddy would never be coming home. Then again those things weighed on his mind enough already, maybe it'd have a new trick up its sleeve.

   Instead of the expected soul-searching test of character he'd been preparing for, what greeted his view was simply a circular room completely covered in small screens, and the ancient door to the Endless Library cracked open. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. There should've been something horrible, some sublime epiphany that would make him reconsider... well, something at least. Not... nothing. In the back of his mind he felt cheated; like a bank robber who, after careful study and practice finally slipped to the vault door and found it open with a note saying 'Back in 1 hour.' Curiosity got the best of him, and it didn't take long to realize the problem. It was all over the screens.

   In that bank of thousands upon thousands of images, easily the majority were fairly nondescript scenes of daily life. Some were crosswalk cameras showing people milling about their afternoon. Home security cams displayed parents with children, old people making dinner, some enjoying private trysts. There were fights as well, and sporting matches, and concerts. Some were night-vision augmented views of people sleeping. In essence, a world continuing to spin and get along with things. Then there were the other, scattered screens. Hidden in all the general humdrum of life, there were recordings of the things they've seen, and been fighting against. Horrible monstrosities, ritual sacrifice, insane writings of magical evils. Granted much of the imagery was directly from his own footage, but the point was clear. If he screwed up, those relatively peaceful screens would never exist again. The Resonance couldn't break the rules to help him, but it could bend them to help. Which means it's just as worried as he is. “Frak.”
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-10-19/1141:31>
super awesome post, I love this. Very nice writing. +1 karma!

When are you gonna GM again?
Title: Iceanark's - data breach
Post by: Iceanark on <03-23-19/1830:01>
<internal encrypted message>/<Alpha encryption>

Priority Message for Iceanark (LM Founder)

System report - data breach.

@ time stamp - 11:45:33 there was a data breach from personal files - Iceanark

<admin notes>

Hello Iceanark

Apologies for the high probity report of a data breach.  I wish to make a person note to what we have been able to find out about the breach.

System alerted us to a data breach in your personal files and we were able to intercept the sniff program that had caused the breach.  We wear only able to because it was a 20 year old program.  As far as we can tell the sniffer program has been lurking in your privet files since last you access your personal data. As you know your personal files are off line until you request access and the signifier program attempted to get back to its operator.  We have been able to piece together the following information: -

Sniffer program was trying to get back to Cambridge analytical.

Dater that was taken was recent upload, seems it was not intended to access old data but intercept new and report back.

Final we were able to retrieve some of the intercepted data and will work to restore the crusted files.

Have added retrieved information for you to access and advise further action.  Reply on amber channel for priority actions.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

<https://lm-personalrecords.uk/thefounders/merlin.s>Link Name</a>

<secret window>

Personal record for Samuel Merlin(aka-Iceanrk)

<secret window>

2072:12:14 - London

<corrupted data> …… been slowly moving towards retirement, not much work for an old school street Ork.  Some say I should be dead, some say I’m dead already. I have out lived most of the LM members, my dear old friends and Showdowrunners that knew the old me.  My life is now solo jobs and body gardening duties.

This changed recently with a job of keeping an eye out for Jackson Aliens as he investigates for another book in London.  The gig was to keep an eye on him without him knowing.  His publisher hired me for the job.  I got a little sloppy and Jackson spotted me, had to think fast on my feet (wave file) “I was for your safety as this are dangers arears of town.  I don’t think you should be only here, the local gangs are notaries……” this whit lie allowed me to gain his confidence and I should him around London.  What I had told him was true but I didn’t let on that they all know me.  We fast became friends and it was much easier to protect him being closer to him.



Affect he went back to New York I assumed that would be the end of another small time job.

In the New Year his published got in touch and wanted me to come over to New York and pick up the same gig but over there.  It has been 20 years since I left that strange land and I felt it was time to face my personal demons so took the job.  As I boarded the plan…….. <corrupted data>

Mission Notes

2073:01:11 - New York

>Hotel

Set up position in hotel. Observed runners entering the building.  Followed running taem to hotel room where target was (job protection).  Got jump on runners at the door, dynamic assessment hostiles in room 410.  Target dead, work with runner, ask questions later.

<Audio file>   “My god of the bloody tongue will have your….  (urk)”  … “Dark god”....”

<Inventory>   Picture (Yacht in a harbour, name partially obscured;  “DAR”)
      Letter from Cairo


<Team analyses>

Dwarf – maner through, small, gobbe.
Troll – Biggers I have seen, quiet but fast, overkill.
Human – watchful, back seat driver, keen eye for detail.
Human’s robot – nice piece of kit, limited AI
Elf male – arrogant as hell (nothing new), fast… very fast, too quick with sward.
Elf female – all looks, changeable, gift of the gab, soft target.

All magic uses, don’t know how I feel and that.  They now Tog, that’s a name from the past and if he runs with them I know they can be trusted.  More than I can say for Tog (wave file – laughter)

<Follow up>

Spent time chancing our tales and then got picked up by the pigs …… <corrupted data> ….. was the need of that.  Fond some useful leads, Elises death is connected to Tempo (new awakening drug) and bunch of pharaoh hunters lead by ……………………… Carlyle expedition.  Some serious shit and stinking magic all over the place. I don’t like ……. <corrupted data>



>Juju House

<corrupted data>

Mission Notes

<corrupted data> ……..shit what a lot of bullocks that has been.  This run started of strange with having no patron and no real target…. it’s a fact finding mission and if we find who killed JA then, what the FUCK THEN ????......... <corrupted data> …….out Juju house was easy to stake out, could have done with a decker but with all the magic about what the hec…… <corrupted data>   ….. Emerson imports show up will have to …… <corrupted data> …… s we started down the stare of Juju house I got this fucked up feeling, me and the other runners nerves are fried.  Intel up to this point is giving me the heebie-jeebies……

(Data Gap <corrupted data>)



<end of data packet>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <03-24-19/1350:10>
excellent origin post, +1 Karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <04-12-19/1730:41>
G’pum’s dilemma

Was the time near? The time to act? The time to finally begin acting? It was frustratingly unclear but G’pum was beginning to think maybe, just maybe it was. He’d been *very* patient so far with these Materialese, more patient than his Progenitor would have been, he was sure of that.

Had he made the wrong choice? Should he have chosen the bigger one? His K’irth-mate D’mup had certainly thought so. But D’mup always had been preoccupied with flashy things, “style over substance doesn’t feed the K’irth” their Progenitor had scolded them on many occasions. Nah, sure D’mup had chosen the one with more personal attachment to it’s carrier, you could tell that at a glance, it really meant something to him whereas his carrier just though of his as a tool. But G’pum had followed his upbringing and picked the brightest, most powerful and hence most difficult to bind. That should ensure that it’s carrier would be very loathe to part with it. He had certainly put up with G’pum so far with little complaint. But then what was there to complain about? He had shown the carrier his capabilities a few times, for free, just to give him a taste. But the time was coming where the cost would have to be levied, his cycle demanded it.

If G’pum had been different he might have acted already, but G’pum was always the most thoughtful and patient of his K’irth-mates, so he had waited, learning as much as possible about his carrier and the strange life these Materialise led. And now the time to act was coming, he could feel it in his calgor.

There had been a moment of pure terror when the carrier had brought him close to the traveller, but luckily he had kept his distance. That could have turned out awful, thank the Progenitor it had turned out the way it did.

Their current path was certainly an interesting one, but not of any value if G’pum could not enter the next phase of his cycle. But where was the lever? He had searched and thought and examined all angles but was still uncertain. So much of what motivated these Materialise was just plain alien to him. But that artifact! Man that thing was almost pure K’irth-bait. G’pum was certain he could use it, but first he would have to forge the pact. And the pact would require a lever, and he was still uncertain which one would work on this carrier. He was confident the time would come, and when it did he would be ready, as he had been trained. The cycle demanded it.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <04-23-19/2210:43>
<inside Brady's head as the events unfold>

About damn time, something's starting to happen...all my little hairs are standing up...

This is it! This has gotta be it!

The birth of that slitch's' Child is gonna happen any minute and we're gonna be on hand to terminate the little bastard. I'll put old Gretchen on it, she always does good work. 50 grams of match grade alloys tend to.....Damn!!!

"Where did that slotting storm come from all of sudden?" Jack texts across the tac-net

<composure check>

"Wtf is that..thing...stepping out of.... that immense rift.
Shit, range finder is putting it at over 100' tall!"


<difficult composure check>

"Holy shit did that staircase appear out of nowhere?
Hey everyone's streaming up towards...it!
wait, what's...OMG!!!!"


<very difficult compsure check>
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <07-01-19/1931:11>
Bloodhound stands transfixed by the thing lurking in the shadows of the adjacent room. He sways slightly and a rivulet of drool descends in a long, pendulous string from his cock-eyed grimace. Despite his silence an occasional message bleeps on the tac-net. The grammar is weirdly precise and wooden, not at all like his normal witty banter.

<meanwhile inside bloodhound's head>
Standing in front of the....creature...your mind reels from the unmistakable sensation of motion inside your cranium that feels distinctly like fingers thumbing through a filing cabinet...that and an odd odor emanating from the other side of the electric field combines to make you completely disoriented and off balance. "Nauseous" would be the correct word, yeah that's it! You feel "ill". Phew, that was an effort just to conceive of the proper word while it sifts through your your meat-RAM's many virtual file folders. Eventually it lands on a clear picture of Clockwork embedded in your long-term memory and an oddly anachronistic text message floats across your field of vision in giant flaming letters "do you seek the angry-short-one? I conversed with him just recently, I can trade information for my release".

You vomit onto your shoes and wipe the remains away from your mouth with the back of your hand. This is the first moment since it opened dialog that the feel of something unnatural intruding in your mind is no longer present. The jelly-cone-alien-thing wobbles a bit in what you take for anticipation. Or indigestion, hard to say...maybe that's a precursor to "gossip" wherever this thing's from?
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <07-29-19/0105:17>
Long overlooked and had a bit of writers block, but here's the additions to the dossiers!



Dossier: Jan

Physical: 
Dwarven male. German. Physically unassuming, often dresses down except when acting in coordination with others. Magically active. Relatively nondescript.
Notes: Like any magic user, don’t expect the wrapper to give any hint to what’s beneath. Does tend to have a few fetishes on hand, but also masking abilities.

Combat:
Often carries a machine pistol or an automatic rifle, but the real threat is his magical ability. Highly skilled in magic with numerous combat spells known.
Notes: Seriously, do not underestimate threat with this one. Reminds me of some of our specialists without the classroom time. All his skills seem to be from this line of work, which means punches won’t be pulled. What he lacks in traditional magical understanding has gone right into extra applications of it.

Demeanor:
Most often paranoid to a fault. Highly confident. Takes input from team members on things he has not decided on but does not seem to accept input after his mind is made up. Believes himself team leader, often butting heads with those who think the same of themselves. Does well with planning and utilizing team strengths especially where magic is concerned. Highly unusual morality; seems to have little regard for sacrificing non-targets while occasionally being squeamish about treatment and removal of enemy combatants.
Notes: Could make for a good lead with training. Damn stubborn at times. Can go on for hours discussing theories that interest him but does not do well with debate. His confidence seems to come from surviving past difficulties. The headstrong nature is like mid-level gangers; survived and thrived in tough spots, doesn’t take well to backtalk, but seems to lack a high-end goal. Will often try to immediately use magical means to an end, frequently relying on magic for questioning and assessing situations.

Goals/Motivations:
No demonstrated goals or motives other than nuyen thus far. Little sign of double-cross nature so far, but quite likely to grab a bit extra on a job. Does not show a pressing drive for magical knowledge but does have a desire for foci as expected of a magical runner. Enjoys wealth but seems more adapted to low-income life.
Notes: Given the ability to slum it, the high magical aptitude and meager technical understanding of magic, I suspect him a sorely missed opportunity. Certainly not from somewhere with even a decent corp presence, or he’d have been recruited long ago. Doesn’t seem particularly predisposed to any corps though, so likely has flown under radar for majority of his career.

Personal Estimation:
Proven Asset
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Reverend on <07-29-19/0105:42>
Dossier: Icenark

Physical:
Older male Orc. British. Physically fit. Often dresses in business suits.
Notes: If not for being an older Orc, he would easily be lost in a crowd of stockbrokers. A bit of an oddity as an older orc but mind most don’t reach such an age due to violence; those that do, survived. However, some mentions of past events make me think the tusks aren’t as old as he is. Poseur perhaps but those tend to embrace the stereotypes; Comet possibly?

Combat:
Skilled in long arms of varying types, likely several melee weapons and unarmed as well. Solidly rated skillwires make it difficult to tell which skills are trained and which are downloaded. Again note: Skillwires.
Notes: SKILLWIRES. Good ones. Do not let the analysts forget to mention these things. Remember Aspen?

Demeanor:
Affable, amiable, professional. Ex-corp internal security perhaps. Willing to put ideas on the table, offer assistance and stay in the background when that seems best.
Notes: Consummate professional. Either been a runner with a pro group for years or came from high-level corp security. Seems too comfortable voicing thoughts and opinions to be from military or basic security, while being deferential enough to strongly lean from high ranks. If military history, likely was a captain.

Goals/Motivations:
Unknown so far, but likely more than just for the nuyen. Professionalism and team player attitude make it seem that whatever life was behind, regaining some aspects of it are the motivation.
Notes: Something about this guy really makes me think he’s looking for a solid team. Put him in your rolodex.

Personal Estimation:
Proven Asset
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <07-29-19/1102:20>
xclnt +2 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <09-20-19/1308:07>
The End, at last...?

This is it, the frakkin' terminal run. The last hoorah, the finale, the climax, the culmination, the finish, the close, the ending.

Over 3 years in service to the ancient drake Lung, traveling the globe as his covert operatives has brought you to this point. Although more and more you’re feeling less like assets and more like pawns. Lack of candor from your employer tends to do that..

What final horrors await below? Only one way to find out, right?

As you gather at the tunnel entrance piercing the flank of the newborn volcano two happy face icons float up on the tac-net.

That’s the signal that Bloodhound and Synthesia have secured the sub and Tog and Wyt have disabled the missile defense tower on the far side of the island.

It’s go time.

Dressed in cultist robes and descending single-file through the roughly hewn tunnel that plunges directly into the heart of the active volcano gives you a few minutes to collect your thoughts.

Olof spits out across the tac-net “Man it’s getting freakin’ hot”.

It IS hot, the team’s sensors are showing 90° F, glancing over at Olof you can see the sweat pouring down his face.

The cultists in front and behind the team don’t seem to complain, you suspect these robes won’t be staying on for long if the previous rituals are anything to go by.

The poor schlubs destined for the altar are pushed roughly in front of you, some weep uncontrollably. No one breaks cover to sooth them. Stone-faced killers, is that what we’ve become? If we stop the ritual but not the sacrifice does that mean our morality also dies on that altar? Does that make us the “good guys” or the “bad guys”? Is that even relevant anymore? Drek knows. Maybe we’ll have time to sort that out after this is all done, if we live that long.

Finally the tunnel opens up into a large chamber, strewn around the edges of which lay piles of broken crates and packing materials. However your attention is focussed on the huge ballistic rocket standing over 10 meters tall in the center of the cavern, surrounded by cultists and fish-men.

You’re immediately struck by two things, how the fark are they going to launch that thing through the cavern’s ceiling and wtf is that damned blue glow around it??

Jiao and Jan audibly groan and a message pops-up on the tac-net, “some kind of force barrier” Jan pings.

“No, that’s a ritual spell” Jiao pings back.

“Actually it’s both” Jan again.

The team pauses as a quick conversation ensues…
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jrezky on <10-12-19/1921:27>
OOC: A bit of a jump back in time, I finally found my original write-up of Olof's backstory. However, it is missing the racism element and the night of violence that took over his town and affected him so deeply. I will try and spend some more time editing that in at some point. Just wanted to put this up so I don't lose it again and so hopefully it can be of some use.

Olofmeister, a troll in his mid-late twenties from Essen, Germany.
Strangely enough, Olof was not born with the assumption that he would wind up the intimidating beast he has become. Born human to a strictly human family tree, he was actually quite a sickly child. By the age of 6 he developed eczema and severe asthma. Olof's eczema meant he always wore long sleeves, turtle necks and gloves, and his asthma meant he was unable to partake in exercise, and was consequently relatively skinny. He was bullied on a daily basis as a result of his size and appearance.

He became interested in martial arts at age 12 after his family went on vacation to France; the trideo remaster of Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee was playing at the local movieplex. Olof could not get in because it was rated 17+, but he and his brother Hannes were able to sneak into the theatre. After he saw the movie, he immediately wanted to master martial arts. Olof started training kickboxing in the backyard of an elementary school with a friend. At first, his fairly conservative parents didn't allow him to pursue his new goal, but after two years of begging his parents, at age 14, they allowed him to practice Tae Kwon Do. His passion meant he picked it up very quickly and after a few months he got in a street fight with the biggest bully in town who pushed him around and tried to torment him many times. Olof, now more confident, took the challenge, broke the bully's nose and KO'd him in a rapid succession of one kick and one punch. Later that day the local constabulary showed up at his home, and he was prohibited by his parents from practicing any more martial arts.

It was around this time that the 2061 events Haley's Comet led to Olof's SURGE, and he began rapidly expressing troll features. His parents were loving, but their family system struggled in dealing with his metahumanity and the targeted racism brought to their small town. His parents had a lot of difficulty in the first year in dealing with this transformation, and Olof felt that by living with them he caused all their problems. At age 16, he moved out of his parent's house and once again started training. He was committed and eventually earned a 2nd degree black belt in Muay Thai. He then learned Jujitsu, and earned another 2nd degree black belt.

Olof is large, even for a troll. This means that most of his work consisted of taking jobs as bouncers in bars & clubs around town, considering he could bounce at a club for Orks and even other Trolls. He began drinking heavily, especially while working, which led to many mistakes, including accidentally pounding a belligerent ork to death who had repeatedly insulted and attacked him that night. Human juries in the area being what they were, he ended up in prison not for manslaughter, but for murder in the first degree.His time behind bars did not hinder his training. He was able to learn the prison art of 52 Blocks from a strange and mysterious older man with a life sentence who took a liking to him. Mysteriously, he was out within 5 years, told it was simply for good behavior and a convincing appellate lawyer.

Olof made a name for himself almost immediately after being released from prison by single-handedly stopping a gang shootout in a particularly hole-in-the-wall dive bar. Afterwards, Olof was approached by someone who called himself J-ReZ, an Ork who happened to be hanging out at the club and witnessed the event. J-ReZ said he was a Shadowrunner, and if he was looking for some shadow work, to contact a fixer in Hong Kong by the name of Andrew Zhou.

Quite fed up with the typical troll-level legit work he was getting, ushering those too messed up to help themselves out the door for too little money. He got in touch with this Zhou character, who introduced himself as Jin Zhou, Andrew being a sort of preferred nickname. Having not considered a street name until that very moment, He introduced himself as Olof. Zhou said just using his given name was probably a bad idea. Olof said, "I like my name, I never cared about having a different one," and Zhou apathetically wrote down "Olofmeister" on his commlink. "Im not calling you just by your first name, you want to keep using it, it's your funeral."

Olof was able to make a couple trips to Hong Kong, enough to get a lay of the land and even had enough successful solo work to land a name for himself. The frequent traveling between Hong Kong and New Seattle, while lucrative, has been leaving Olof with the feeling he'd never see his hometown again. As long as the money keeps coming, he's okay putting it off with a commlink connect once in a while, but sometime when it's convenient he'd like to visit the friends and family he had in Essen.

Regardless, Olofmeister, being a very quiet character who generally looks intimidating without trying, isn't one to gossip or talk about the good ol' days. Quiet and contemplative, he's usually happy just going with the flow as long as there's good pay.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <12-26-19/1309:21>
Chicago hadn't worked out how he had expected it to.

Tog had been sold on a few days kickin' it in Chi-Town while helping Jan "recover a couple of cyber-eyes customized for his HMMV infected brother". It would be a nice change of pace from the globe-trotting, save-the-world stakes of the past couple of years. He was even looking forward to slipping in some R&R on the side.

Instead it had turned into a series of fedex jobs for various small-change, low-life street types that were tangentially connected to Jan's target. "Mostly busy work" he had assessed until that nut in the CZ had put a 0.5 BMG round through his shoulder. Over the next few days shit rapidly devolved as it seemed like the team was finding bug and toxic shamans under every mother-fraggin rock and ghouls under all the others. Then to cap it off that slitch from his past turns up expecting a family-fucking-reunion. He still wasn't sure if he should dump her off the nearest pier or use her to set the hook. Fish, cut bait or hit the road, which way to go?

Whatever he settled on one thing had become clear, fuck Chi-Town.

Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Iceanark on <01-14-20/0422:42>
It was another late night working tough leads.  BoldHound was flicking though all the old school paper records wile I had the job of watching old video clips on outdates video chips.  This was boring work but in the shadows this is what makes nebee runners into prose.  I had one advantage, with so much of me being cyberwar I never really got the feeling of frustration with made me preface to endless flic though video after video….…

There was no real reason for doing this but to see if anything popped up that may link to our current situation of being stuck as a play thing for the games of megercops.

I was nearly finished with the clips and was just getting to a file titled “documentary”, as I flick in waiting the neck video though my sucker eyes I got a jolt of recognition and a sense of some long lost emotions.  I was watching footage of my old mentor, the one that I first meet as he dragged me out from the roti between the cops mussel and the residence of Lambeth.  The site of him in the clip shocked me and I did not know why or how this had come to be playing out in Chicago of all places.

After the initial shock I continued to view my old mentor and key member of the Lambeth Martyrs………..  A memory flowed back of our time spent hiding away making plans together of  how to infiltrate Adams-Hoffmann and how to put a stop once and for all to the testing they where doing to the populace of Lambeth……..

Man this was unseal for me, I really lost my focus and the was important,  my shock increased as I saw flickering behind my eyelids my Mentor talking to a corp in a sure.  He talk some money or a small item from the guy………. just then the recognition software that had been running in the background flashed up the identity of the corp as being Saeder Krupp (Lofwyr) (Simon the Dragonoid’s employer)…… I jolted where I sat and had the sense of quickly scanning the other in the room, had that noticed.

I had found something but this was for me not the team, how to handle this what to do.  There was only one coshes open to me, finish watching the vids and see what els came up.  The rest of the clips showed that after receiving whatever it was from the corp figure my mentor went to a safe witch looked familiar as I watched and placed something inside.  The shot was at an angel but it was not heard to make out the code he put in,  I made a snap decision to quickly edit out the bit of the code and save to my personal file.

I continued to watch and saw him opening a door and I suddenly realised that this was just before he came in though that door to finalise plans with me for our bogies opp.  Memories of that discussion flashed before me and I realised that was the last time that I felt any real emotion.  Soon after that I was sent off shout for the cyberwere that would need to accomplish the wet-work planed in Tynesprawl……. that was infill now, I felt chock, fear and pain from the grand image of my mentor.  My identity was in question,  did my life as a runner start off as a plot for some other corp……..

What to do, I shared the info with the team (except the code) just to insure that If i need support they would be in the loop.

Jan sad that someone at the Valt was asking about the old vids, did they know something ?????

I rewatched the clip a few more times and was able to pice tother 3 key facts

>> My mentor was clearly talking with a Corp figure head of Saderkrupp and shaking hands. A Johnson maybe? Either way they weren’t yelling or going at it which is odd for a martyr.

>> After their cordial conversation my mentor our opens a safe code 1529 and puts something in there.

>> The video stops when he would then open on your door to talk with you.

I remembered my last meeting was at a building overlooking the Squeeze across the river, it was in a three story apartment complex on the outside.  It was a front for the Lambeth Martyrs and was primary used as a staging area for getting people in and out of the Squeeze.

I then mad my mind up then and there that I will have to be carful but I needed to find out what is in that safe and most importantly see if my life has been built on a lie……………
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-15-20/1018:48>
nice post +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <01-19-20/1923:28>
It was pretty far from the most restful night Jan ever had.   It should have been the sleep of the just:  Jan’s friends had showed up in force, and with one exception, backed him to the hilt as he chased down Rudi’s ticket to freedom. 

 Olof and the boat met him in Germany and they  picked up Icenark on the way.  Ice looked amazing:  20 years younger, and not as lean and gaunt as he had been towards the end of their time in the Southern hemisphere.
Tog and Bloodhound joined in New York, and Tog was more mentally together than he had been in a good while.  He denied that the torture and horror of the cult campaign unsettled his brain, but Jan knew what PTSD looked like, and it looked like Tog two months prior.  Bloodhound was his old imperturbable self, wisecracking and watching his drones like he expected them at any time to start conjuring spirits or writing poetry. 
Jiao couldn’t make it, doubtless chasing Elven tail in Tir Na Nog, even though she denied that the mission was anything that mundane or selfish.  “She never did get over that Japanelf street sam with his fancy moves with his, um, sword”, Jan thinks.

And even though they had fought bugs, dogs, radiation spirits, a wendigo (what the hell is a wendigo?), had run from cyberzombies, replaced 8 pints of Tog’s blood when he was shot in the back twice on two successive days, and eaten way too much deep dish pizza, they triumphed.  Everyone showered for three hours straight to get the stink of the toxic shaman’s lair off, but come off it did, eventually.  The team left behind some solid friendships:
    * Angel the ghoul entrepreneur,
    * Dr. Tate and his newly upgraded cybersurgery,
    * The talismongers Lothan and Kirsch,
    * The cynical detective Nick Ryder,
    * Sam the technomancer (admittedly, she was likely to disappear in to Ares, or at least Los Angeles, and it seemed unlikely that the team would ever go there again,)
    * Quantum Princess thought the team was somewhere between competent and fantastic depending on the job,
    * And last but not least, the CZ gypsy cab company has the team marked as a  “reliable business partner.   

On the corp side, they had burned bridges more thoroughly than ever before with Renraku, but Tog’s file was now marked “closed for good” (or so the team thought….)
    * The team had intel on Aztechnology and Ding Ramos trying to muscle in on the Chicago Beautification project, and hated the Azzies enough to at least consider outing this fact to MCT. 
    * One interesting conversation with Gracie Junior made them think that there just might be a way to get a mole into Ramos’ HQ.
    * Maggie the up-and-coming Mitsuhama Johnson owed them bigtime.
    * Silverleaf was humiliated, and hopefully Lothan would make her eat shit from his lofty throne inside an anonymous bar.
    * Ares might actually pay back BH’s favor recovering his old teammates’ gear from the CZ.

 With the money the team earned doing side jobs, the upgrades to His Dark Mistress were going nicely- Tog had contacts in Carribea that would be glad to turn the rich man’s toy into a regular Q ship, bristling with hidden defenses above and below the waterline.  And the new labs would perfectly complement many future acts of deception and skulduggery.  It should have been a clean exit.  But of course, fate conspired to make the trip out of town a little too exciting. 

Despite the thoroughness of Tog’s attempt to intimidate his “mother”, it was clear that Renraku was game for risking  one last try to recover their long-gone Mission Impossible asset.   Who else would have the guts and money to fin ance an air pirate Zeppelin and chase us down on the open water of the Great Lakes in January?  Flying a lighter-than-air through sleet was sheer folly, but Renraku’s team did a superb job of sneaking up to HDM and boarding it in the dead of night- their stealth equipment completely fooled Tog’s inexpert eyeballs.  The footage, reviewed later, showed suspiciously identical “cloud patterns” from all different angles that the surveillance drones filmed… a dead giveaway that Ruthenium Polymers were at work.   Before anyone on the team had even a second to grab their guns or gear, the invaders were aboard and had their hands practically at Jan’s throat.   Smoke was billowing through a massive hole on the foredeck, the aft deck was swarming with drones, and there were intruders inside our computer, both in meat space and the Matrix.  It wasn’t looking good for the good guys. 

The next six seconds may have been Jan’s finest hour.  Some combination of luck, intuition, years of surviving on the streets, and incredible willpower kept him dancing, rolling and weaving as three highly trained agents sought to subdue him.  Bullets couldn’t touch him, nor could the mage’s spells or the oge’s hairy arms.  Nothing less than an HE grenade at point blank could pin him down.  His desperate evasions bought enough time for Olof to KO the enemy mage and for Tog to lacerate the ogre into unconciousness with two swift and brutal strokes.  When Ice armored up and brought his rifle to the top deck and Olof and Tog turned their attention to the rest of the Renraku squad, and when Bloodhound stopped their hacking job cold after they were sure they were in, it was over.  And the all-orc squad of deniable assets knew it. 

Almost at the same instant, they slagged all their electronics, and the two agents who were still concious and able to suicide did so.  Hardcore Bushido.  They may not have had the muscle to subdue a slippery, squealing, naked dwarf, but they definitely had the discipline to cover their tracks and terminate their incursion with a bang.  If their adept had been as savvy as the demolitionist at placing his armload of grenades, the ship would surely have sunk as they clearly intended, taking their mark, their agents, and the rest of the team to the bottom.  Dead men tell no tales from Davy Jones’ Locker, and all those other trite cliches.  But it was not to be- after the smoke cleared, the boat was still afloat.

Not a single team member died, at least not permanently.  Jan’s medkit printed a grim ekg hardcopy of of the twelve seconds where his heart was not pumping, but at this point, Jan can hardly tell a near-death experience from a trip to the Stuffer Shack for a watery American pilsner.  Is that a light at the end of the tunnel?  A noizquito with its strobe improperly synched to the Tacnet?  A fire spirit conjured by Ho Fong, a shedim emerging from an impossible spacetime rift, an imp returning from the far astral to make its home once again in his favorite focus?  No, actually, just the “ready” light on the microwave.  Time to eat your General Soy’s Chikin flavored Cup o Noodles, count your blessings, and walk it off. 

On the smoking, bloody deck of the pleasure yacht.  Just another Shadowrun in Chicago. 
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <01-20-20/1109:58>
nice post +1 karma ;-)
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <02-01-20/1154:58>
Bland white walls, bland wooden bunk beds.
Bland bookshelf over with bland history books.

From the outside looking in, this was some college that could barely scrape by. Two young “college students” on each of the beds sleeping the day away. On the bottom a young 20 something male elf, pale thin, possibly took as many classes as Jiao did in athletics. Red t shirt like it came from a box chain and unassuming light jeans hung from his body. The female elf, Jiao, was also dressed in a similar manner. To the outside, this would seem maybe like a cult compound or college campus.

The rest of the building was also very unassuming. Trying to hide in plain sight. Tir was a place known for magic spells and so the last thing that was wanted was to stand out. Hell, it took Jiao a bit of time just to find the place, but alas that’s a story for another time. Her friends had called and updated her about the boat. Never before had she been so happy to discuss something in the real world.

After hanging up from her friends phone call (for which Jiao was grateful for), her instructor simply said a single word, “Again.” Before heading back into the astral. They have been at this for weeks the same repetitive stuff, just positioning and stance and patience drills and book learning. Jiao internally was crying though she knew it was necessary. Her social energy was almost drained.This time however it all changed.

After three days of positioning ones self and aligning ones self to balance, things finally changed. She saw through her instructor’s mask and realized that she was with a person in their mid 40s gender seemingly fluid. She stared at them rather puzzled.

Careful not to say anything she just got into her stance as practice dictated.

The instructor turned to Jiao and replied simply with “Now you see” while kicking Jiao’s tennis shoed foot a bit to the left and summoning a spirit behind her as he did. “The real world cheats”. They immediately backed away and Jiao crouched down to miss an earth elemental swiping where her head would have been. How they spoke in the astral she didn’t begin to fathom but she was a little distracted.

“Out!” She screamed in her own head positioned towards the spirit. Nothing happened and the spirit raised its arms up ready for a death kill. Panicked Jiao threw everything she had into sending this thing back to where it came and right before it collided with her face the rocks fell down all around her. In sheer exhaustion Jiao laid down in the astral on the floor, blood trickling down her nose and running down her right arm.

Without a word, the instructor was gone leaving Jiao alone in the astral. She stayed a few moments alone and then gathered her composure before heading back to her body.

When she did she found that her younger roommate was clearly not so and turned to Jiao. “Congratulations you passed. Welcome to the warrior caste. Rare we have one such of your...build..”

It was then she got introduced into the different castes etc (source: https://beepos-shadowrun.fandom.com/wiki/T%C3%ADr_na_nÓg) and instead of working off second hand knowledge she became an actual practitioner of the religion. No longer so much concerned about this life and how fleeting it could be it’s now about becoming the center of the wheel and the future King/Queen/Monarch.

Sure she may have came a spoiled prima Donna brat but the Wheel was working it’s way in her always. Making her want a haven for warriors and not just herself. Just instead of retiring she needed to make sure everyone could get closer to center. And there’s no way to do that if spirits are fucking everyone’s lives over. Sure we respect them but it’s about time they respected us too.

Spending the next day or so recouperating and book learning, the school sent her back out for a well deserved vacation to the Caribbean and told her the balance battles are outside not here. Just to remember that what you take someone else might lose and to be sure of yourself.

How much of that will stick may leave a impression now but how much long term is to be seen.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: MathBlade on <02-01-20/1155:33>
Sorry for the brevity lost this post a few times. Plan on expanding more later.
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-03-20/1909:07>
congrats on your new initiate grade and the Exorcism metamagic.
+1 karma for a nice IC post!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: Jan Schaefer on <02-08-20/2121:14>
Jan’s fourth initiation had been the stuff of nightmares.  Too traumatic to recall completely.  A few nightmare scenes, half-remembered, made him shudder.  Rather than fading with time, the memories had sharpened and became even more painful.  Weeks of sleep deprivation, bodily mortification, and degradation had worn him almost to the breaking point.  But it had worked as Father Fall advertised, breaking down the barriers between Jan and the source of Romani magic, the mysterious astral Sponsors.

Jan knew he had to go a very different route to make further progress.  For several months, he had been corresponding with a succession of successively better connected Linked Chain mages.  For the most part, they were enchanters, summoners, or ethernauts, barely willing to acknowledge that what Jan did was up to par with their own powers.  But the Linked Chain was always hungry for three things:  money, power, and dignity.  All he had to do was show them that he could bring the Chain more of the first two without sacrificing the third.  Climbing the Chain, he knew, was necessary to reach their top sorceress.  Probably the only manaslinger in the world who could speak to him in his own tradition and teach him how to fine-tune and shape the massive, ragged bolts of raw power that his previous mentor had taught him to hack out of  the Other Side.

Finally he was allowed an anchorless chat window with Vadoma Shaw.  Waiting for the call, Jan fussed at his hair for the fourth time, coughed nervously for the fifth, and looked again out the window at the bleak Pennsylvania coastline.  A dusting of snow, blackened by soot, lay heavy on the banks of the canal. 

“Snow should be clean”, Jan thought as he always did.  In Istanbul, the snow had been the only relief from the rubble and corpses everywhere that there was somehow never time to bury.  He jerked his attention back to his ‘link, muttering to himself angrily  “Why the hell am I thinking about corpses today.  This is what I’ve been working toward for eight years.”  He ticked over his selling points in his mind, ready to make his best sales pitch to Shaw.  With her fame and status, she would surely need persuading to spend time with him.  Surely she would assume he was a cultureless hick; at her level of stardom, she probably never even ordered coffee from someone without an agent and a half-dozen trid credits.  Jan knew he could be charismatic when he put his whole aura into it, but he feared that the lack of in-person contact would hold him back.   He only hoped that somehow the laws of physics would bend, allowing  his Awakened aura to translate over the Matrix and tip the balance.

Her first words blew past all his preparations.  “Show me how serious you are”, Shaw snapped.  He barely had time to register her latest look:  thick, brutal earrings and lip piercings, jagged inverted lightning tattoos, severe bangs, and plucked, arched brows.  But the cheekbones and noble brow were the same as ever:  she looked exactly like all the publicity stills and vids of her he had ever seen, while also looking radically and angrily different.  He gulped.  Trembling, he held up his left hand, palm facing Shaw, fingers spread . 

“How many?”, he asked, trembling. 

“Would you give them all?”   He realized that she was not looking at his hand, and maybe not even at his face.  The dark, slitted eyes seemed to be driving daggers into his soul.

“J- J- Ja, Meine Dame.  Alle, wenn es noetig ist.”  He cursed himself for trembling. 

Shaw switched to German as well.  Oddly, he had not noticed her Scottish accent until she switched from English.  Perhaps she was still in character from her last one man show, a mashup of last decade’s smash hit Kadeera with the neglected classic, The Vagina Monologues.  Her tone started severe, as she began to grimace.  “Ja.  Allen.  Deine finger-”  She began to draw her finger, ending in a wicked inch-long burgundy nail, across the screen at the height where his hand was exposed.

And then she cracked up.  “Hahaha, ach mein Gott!”  Continuing in English again, “Father Fall must have scared you to death.  Oh, god!”  She cackled and guffawed for what felt like minutes, though his Transys told him it was mere seconds.  Jan mustered his will and attempted a grin.  He felt it sliding, sickly and inadequate, off his face as she continued. “Oh, mann, whodja think we are, the bampot Yakuza?  Gee on, cetcher bawhead outcher breeks guy!”  Jan’s eyes flicked desperately to his CC line and found no translation.  “Umm, sorry,” he sputtered, not sure how to continue. 

“Ah couldnae help meself, lad, jew unnerstan."  She chuckled a bit more, and then leaned forward.  In an instant she transformed back from the jocular to the intense. 

“All right, man, ye’ve got three weeks wi mae.  The money’s good, and I’ve three aethers think they can keep up with me all together tae gee it.  We’ll see how many of yae last.  For nea, getcher chankin arse aboot pronto, choom.   We start in nae tayim.”  Bewildered, Jan’s fingers twitched a desperate query to Bloodhound.  “Umm, well, I think that sounds, umm…”  But before the grizzled hacker could rouse himself to assist, the signal cut out.  For a second, Jan sat stunned.  Not knowing if he had succeeded, failed, or been told to go wash his face.  Until an address appeared on the screen. 

With a sigh of relief, he realized the address was in Berlin.  He had been accepted into tutelage by Vadoma Shaw! Of all people.  He exhaled stress and lowered his shoulders.  “OK”, he said out loud, realizing from the stinging of his eyes that he had not even dared to blink for the whole conversation.  “The easy part’s over, I guess…”

(http://)
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <02-12-20/1101:31>
nice personal flavor +1 karma!
Title: Re: Jialong Data Haven
Post by: adzling on <05-17-20/0851:12>
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